Chronophobia
by DittyWrites
Summary: The mysterious entity who is attacking the rogues has been revealed and now the battle lines have been drawn. It's up to Jon and Edward to make an army out of their fellow rogues to prevent them all from being wiped off the face of the planet. But with stakes as high as this, will everyone survive the battle ahead? (SEQUEL TO MONOPHOBIA)
1. Good Old Fashioned Revenge

Jonathan watched with bored eyes as Edward flitted about the apartment, adjusting the small fixings which scattered the room as he attempted to clean up the remains of last nights struggle with the assassin. The apartment was not that badly damaged really, a few broken things here and there, but Edward was still very clearly unhappy. "Honestly Edward, why do you even bother?"

"Because Jon," Edward answered slowly, "you might be okay with our guests seeing our home in disrepair but I find it quite offensive. I am a man of standards after all. Selina will be here with Ivy and Harley within the next five minutes and I will not allow them to say I live in squalor. I will always have my pride."

"I hardly think a few broken items count as squalor. I think your obsessive compulsive disorder is acting up again."

Edward scowled before turning to face Jon again. "If it was Jon, I would have left a threatening riddle on that couch you seem unable to drag your ass off. You could at least offer to help, my ankle is still swollen after last night."

"I could, couldn't I." Jon mused but did no such thing. "But on a more serious note, what are we going to tell the ladies when they arrive? Are we going to confess all?"

"Yes. There is no point in holding information at this point, we need all the support we can get."

"What about your involvement? Are you going to inform them of your close brush with death and the fact that you have a personal target on your back?"

"Selina already knows but I have no desire to tell the other two. If it comes out then I will deal with that but since i'm not the primary target it's not necessary information. I have a feeling that the five of us will need to be the leading force behind this fight against Ras since I do not trust the other rouges quite as much as I do those three." He stopped fussing with the small pillow he was rearranging as he considered his words. "That said, I still do not trust Ivy to have my best interests at heart."

Jonathans' face had changed slightly at the mention of Selina already knowing about Edwards' condition but he had successfully blanked his face again before Edward caught on. "I think Ivy will always hate you. How does Selina already know about the cancer?" He was mildly offended that Selina was given this very private information and yet he himself was not.

"You are aware that Selina and I slept together once yes?"

"Yes." Jonathan knew the pair had had a dalliance in the past. Truth be told, their past transgressions did not really bother him since he knew Selina was very relaxed about her sexual escapades and she had never made a big deal out of it, which had allowed her to preserve her strong friendship with Edward throughout the years. But he had always wondered how that particular event had come about. He understood too well that Edward was an attractive man and it went without saying that Selina was undeniably quite beautiful, but Edward did not seem like Selinas' type at all. "The fact that you actually somehow convinced Selina to allow you to sleep with her is a fact which still surprises me to this day."

Frowning at the intended insult, Edward continued. "It actually happened exactly one year after my dip in the lazarus pit. I was at the Iceberg Lounge contemplating the fragility of life and drowning my sorrows in good-quality bourbon when I bumped into Selina. Half a bottle later I ended up telling her everything, about the lazarus pit and how it was my one year anniversary of cheating death. Things simply escalated from that. We eventually finished the bottle and went back to her apartment. I think she felt a little sorry for me."

"And she slept with you?"

"Oh yeah." Edward gave a wicked smirk. "She even made me breakfast the following morning. We discussed what had been said and she swore not to tell a soul. In this world of idiots and oxygen-wasters, Selina is one of the few people who I hold in high esteem...and not just because she slept with me." He winked. "After you, she is probably my favourite person in this filth-stained hell hole of a city."

Jonathan chuckled at the small tale and stood up to help Edward move the smashed coffee table to the side. "Always nice to know I am still your top priority." He said mockingly.

"Not that you ever doubted it. If you were ever in desperate need of a kidney I would be the first to volunteer," he paused, "to go out and find you a suitable replacement."

"How romantic." Jon rolled his eyes as a sharp knocking at the door alerted them to the arrival of the women. "Show time!" He called out as he walked towards the door and opened it quickly. "Ladies." He greeted deeply as the three fanned out into the living room.

Selina was all business as she walked directly towards the couch and sat down delicately, Ivy neglected the couch in favour of one of the small armchairs which she draped herself over as she waited for everyone else to get setted in. Harley bounced over to Edward and placed a smacking kiss on his cheek.

"Hiya Mistah E!" She called out joyfully before moving over to Jonathan and doing the same. "Hiya Doctah Crane!"

"Hello Harley," Edward greeted warmly, "feel free to sit next to Selina. We have quite a lot to talk about." Harleys' face fell a little at the suddenly serious tone as she did as she had been told.

"So what the hell is going on Ed?" Selina decided to attack the topic as bluntly as she could. "What exactly do you know about what's going on?"

Standing in the middle of the room, Edward gave the three girls his full attention. "Jonathan and I were attacked in our apartment last night by a woman who had full intentions of killing us both. Due to Jons' new apparent superstrength," he paused while Jon snorted in the background, "we were able to subdue her and we later interrogated her in the basement. Are any of you familiar with Ras Al Ghul?" Selina winced while Ivy and Harley shrugged. "Oh good. Selina would you like to fill them in quickly?"

Selina sighed before turning to the other two women. "Ras Al Ghul is the head of a organisation known as the League of Assassins. He is insanely powerful and estimated as being around six hundred years old. His long life is due to his possession of a mystical item called a lazarus pit which has the ability to extend life." She stopped to look back at Edward. "How and why is Ras Al Ghul involved?"

"Revenge." Jonathan interjected. "Straight up, good old fashioned revenge."

Eyes lighting up with sudden realisation, Selina whispered, "Talia?"

"Talia." Edward confirmed.

"Talia?" Harley sounded confused before asking, "Ain't that the lady who kidnapped ya from our old house back when we all lived together?"

"Yeah Harls." Nodding at the blonde, Selina opened her mouth to continue when Ivy cut her off.

"Could you maybe explain exactly what's going on for those of us who are clearly being left out of the loop here?" Ivy offered sarcastically.

"To make a long story short, Joker murdered the daughter of a very powerful man named Ras Al Ghul and now he's back in town to get revenge. He and his assassin army are responsible for the misfortunes which have been afflicting all the Gotham rogues. Apparently he has decided to wipe us all out."

"Joker." Ivy hissed viciously. "Why is it always Joker? Did you know about this Harley?" She whirled around to face Harley while the others followed since they were all curious about the answer the blonde would give.

"Nuh uh!" Harley shook her head viciously. "Mistah J never told me nothin' about his plans that didn't involve me and then the dirty liar left me for the Bat. I didn't even know the assassin lady was in Arkham City! Ya gotta believe me Red!" Harley pouted, her eyes filling up.

"Okay Harls, I believe you." Ivy soothed. "So we have been left to fight the war which Joker started ? If we could find him and offer him up to Al Ghul do you think he would stop?"

"Unfortunately no. Ras has declared war against the rouges themselves and we have all been 'marked for death' according to out guest."

"And these are the people who are responsible for almost burying me?" Ivys' eyes flashed.

"Yes."

"Wait!" Harley interjected suddenly. "If they are after Mistah J, then why did they leave me alone when they attacked Red?"

Edward nodded thoughtfully while Jon responded. "That is a good question actually. Your association with the Joker is a well known fact."

"From what I understand of the league," Edward spoke slowly, "they follow instructions to the absolute letter. If they had been sent to acquire Ivy then that is exactly what they set out to do. Harley was not part of the instruction, so either they had no interest in her or they have other plans for her. As much as it pains me to admit, Pamela and her abilities make her one of the most dangerous rogues so it would seem wise to take her out the game as early as possible."

"That would make sense." Selina agreed as Pam smirked in the background at the grudged praise.

"So your captive is still restrained downstairs then?" Ivy asked as a mischievous look entered her eyes. "Alive?" Jonathan nodded. "Do you want me to have a try at interrogating her?" She continued sweetly. "I could probably infect her with some chemicals to make her a little more...suggestible."

"Be my guest." Edward exclaimed as he bowed slightly and pointed to the door. "But do not kill or maim her Ivy!" He warned. "I have a plan for our assassin and she has to be in good shape or it will be impossible." Ivy tilted her head in understanding before sliding her body off the armchair and disappearing down into the dark basement.

"Let's wait for Ivy to return before deciding what to do next." Jonathan sighed.

x-x-x-x-x

"That was an absolute waste of time!" Ivy raged as she burst out of the basement door. "She had virtually no reaction to the chemicals I gave her to make her truthful."

"I was not being overdramatic when I said that Ras Al Ghul was insanely powerful and skilled. He has no doubt taught his army to be resistant to the majority of drugs used in traditional interrogations." Edward frowned while Selina nodded in agreement.

"Edward is correct. Talia herself was an absolute master of protecting her mind from outside interference and it's likely that the league will have at least some basic training to preserve their secrets." Turning suddenly to look at Edward, Selina narrowed her eyes. "You said earlier that you have plans for her. What exactly do you have in mind?"

Edward smiled soothingly. "Its not important at this moment. Trust me. If we're going to go to war with Ras Al Ghul then I have a good idea how to make our little prisoner useful to us."

"C'mon Mistah E! Tell us!" Harley whined.

"No. When I know exactly what our plan is I will let you know. But I will need the help of a rouge who is not amongst us at the current moment. Which brings me to my next point." Edward stopped to clear his throat. "Clearly to stand a chance against Ras and the league we will need to organise a united front or be picked off one by one. Jonathan and I are aware that any counter attack will most likely have to be led by those present in this room." He nodded at each of them in turn. "So, ladies and gentleman, which of our fellow rogues are we going to recruit first into our small 'slim-to-none chance of success' mission?"

He ended his speech with an inviting smile. Silence filled the room for a few seconds before the room exploded with noise as Jonathan, Ivy, Harley and Selina started to speak over each other with their various ideas. Edward grimaced as he realised that maybe he was in a little over his head as he watched the four try to gain his attention.


	2. Pieces On The Chessboard

Edward waited patiently for an opening as he watched the quartet argue intensely. It had been five minutes since he asked for their opinions and he had been unable to pick up a single idea from any of them due to their incoherent screeching. Selina and Ivy seemed intent on out-shouting the other and Edward could feel his patience wearing thin as he decided that drastic action was probably needed to settle them down. He snatched an empty mug from the coffee table and launched it forcefully at the small piece of floor between the arguing rogues. The high-pitched smashing noise put an end to the conversation as everyone gasped while their hands flew up to protect their faces from the sharp pieces of shattered mug which scattered across the room.

"What the hell Eddie?" Selina called out as she kicked a small piece of mug away from her foot. Everyone was now giving Edward their full attention as they attempted to work out the source of the outburst.

"You're lucky that none of that hit me." Ivy hissed while Jonathan nodded in agreement as he glared at Edward accusingly.

"Have you all decided to stop acting like children now? Can we actually get some real discussion accomplished?" Ignoring the spiteful looks he was receiving, Edward smiled politely.

"We WERE discussing the situation before your small outburst." Jon frowned.

"No. You were screeching and yelling at each other like a gang of pushy mothers at their childrens' baseball games."

"Have you ever actually been to a baseball game Ed?" Selina countered.

"No. My father wasn't the baseball type. He did have a wicked swing though." He responded with a tight smile while Jon snorted slightly.

"It seems to me," Jon interrupted, "that the best course of action will be to work out which rogues we can depend on to support us and which rogues will need...persuasion."

"Well the five of us are a formidable team to begin with. Harley and Selina are well-trained in combat and if we play our cards right I am sure that we can use Ivys' powers to our advantage. Jon, you should also begin to work on new ways to disperse your toxin since it could be quite valuable." He paused as he realised something. "That said, we really should test whether or not the assassins in the league will actually be susceptible to your toxin. How do you feel about using our new basement guest as a test subject for a while?"

"Oh Edward. You really do spoil me." Jon grinned wickedly. "I would love that."

"Nice to see I can still make you happy."

"And what about you Edward?" Ivy asked suddenly. "You've mentioned all of our skills but what exactly are you bringing to the fight?"

"My incredibly intelligence and planning skills." Edward smirked. "You would all be lost without me. Look, you couldn't even have a simple discussion without my guidance. Plus I have it on good authority that I have a nice ass and that should count for something." Ivy snorted in disagreement but kept her mouth shut. "Who else can we depend on?"

Jon answered instantly. "Jervis. Jervis will help us out."

"True." Edward nodded. "I actually have a very specific role in mind for Jervis concerning our captured assassin. I have no doubt that he will assist us in our fight."

"What about Mistah Freeze?" Harley piped up. "Don't ya think he'd wanna help out since the ninjas tried ta kill Mrs Freeze?"

"She's right." Ivy nodded. "We all know how Freeze is when it comes to Nora and seeking revenge."

"Both are dependable. So far we have Hatter and Freeze, any other suggestions?" Edward threw out to the foursome. He did have some good ideas himself but he felt that it would be better to hear what the others had to offer.

"Dent will help. Ras had his minions steal from him so he would definitely be interested in getting even. Plus I am sure he would not like to be murdered by assassins so..." Jonathan offered wryly.

"Aww Harvey!" Selina purred. "I love working with Harvey. His sudden bursts of unnecessary aggression and constant coin-flipping make for a great working relationship."

"Is that sarcasm dear? We're all have our own little tweaks which we must learn to abide by." Edward smirked. "That said, you do bring up a good point. An army of rogues will be an absolute mess of personality disorders and insanity and I hope we are all prepared to deal with that, if the issue arises that is."

"I am sure I can think of several ways to scare them into obedience." Jonathan grinned viciously.

Edward moved forward to gently pat Jonathans' shoulder. "That's nice dear but not exactly what I had in mind."

"Whatever."

"But Mistah E!" Harley raised her arm as she waited for Edward to nod for her to continue. "We're talking 'bout an army of ninjas and so for we only have like," she paused to count on her fingers, "about eight people. How're we going ta take on an army? They ain't gonna fight fair."

"I know Harley but think about it. Each of the people we've mentioned so far also have the ability to bring others into our fold."

"How?"

"Well, Ivy here," he stopped to indicted to her, "can use her chemical compounds and feminine wiles to ensnare some cannon fodder for us."

"Fine by me." Ivy interrupted.

Ignoring the interruption, Edward continued. "Jervis can also use his mind-control technology to also encourage some new henchmen to sign up for our cause. Dent himself already has a whole network of gang members and bruisers who i'm sure he will be happy to bring into our services."

"But Harley is still right. Even with all the extra cannon fodder there is a very high chance that we will still be greatly outnumbered. You know how large the league is Ed." Selina hummed.

"And that is why we are having this discussion over who would be able to help us. Also I do not think Ras will bring the entie league just to fight us. I don't think he is THAT committed to murdering us. Also, I think now would also be a good time for me to run a very small idea by you all and get some feedback." Edward said innocently.

"What are you thinking Edward?" Came Jonathans' dry voice, he knew that tone very well and it usually meant that Edward was up to something he didn't think would go down well.

"Professor Pyg."

"Hell no." Ivy replied instantly. "That freak needs to stay away from me at all times. He is disgusting."

"I agree with Red! Pyg is just eugh!" Harley cried out as she stuck her tongue out and screwed up her nose in distaste.

"But almost brilliant in his own freaky way." Edward countered. "He also happens to be in possession of an army of his little, admittedly terrifying, doll-people."

"I understand why that would be useful but could we trust Pyg to work with us? He's delusional and self-obsessed." Jonathan asked.

"Again, I don't think he wanted to be murdered by assassins so I think his survival instincts may overcome his particular...obsessions." Edward frowned.

"We can put him on the 'maybe' pile and argue about it later." Selina offered, attempting to be diplomatic about the situation. "Who else do we have?"

"We need some 'heavy hitters'." Ivy said quietly. "Brute strength could be a great advantage to us."

Edward paused while he considered the options. "Bane has been gone for the last month and I have no idea when he is to be expected back. Penguin told me that he has returned to his childhood home which seems odd for a man of Banes' persona but I knew better than to make further enquiries. Killer Croc will probably help us, plus he already owes Jon and I a favour. Waylon can be counted on."

"Yay Crocky!" Harley squealed. "I love Croc, I haven't seen him in aaaaages."

"That's because we live in a nice home and not a sewer Harls." Ivy replied fondly as she looked at her friend.

Edward zoned out of the conversation as he considered the overall strength of the rogues who they had provisionally enlisted into their little war until he heard Selina speak up again. "We need weapons. Very few of us are good at hand-to-hand combat so weapons are going to be a necessity. The league also tend to prefer more old-school weapons like swords and maces. My suggestion would be Ozzie. Of all the mob bosses, he is probably the only one who is going to be interested in helping us."

"Oswald will be our first port of call." Edward agreed. "He's a good friend to several of us and I do think he will provide us with what we need. For a price, probably." He smiled fondly.

"What about Black Mask?" Jonathan enquired. "He counts amongst us masked rogues and he would have a lot to lose." At the mention of Black Mask, Edward had instinctively glanced at Selina and he grimaced internally as he saw her stiffen.

"I'm sorry Selina but Jon is right. We have to at least ask." Edward said soothingly.

"I will not work with the pyschopath who kidnapped my sister, murdered her husband and drove her insane." Selina hissed, her entire body tensing in anger. "The fact that he is somehow even still alive is an absolute miracle."

"Lina, I will not ask you to work with him. We will only ask him to provide arms, no personal involvement. I dislike the man intensely and I do not want him on the battlefield either."

"I swear I will kill him Ed. He had better stay away from me."

"I promise." The room filled with an awkward silence after that little outburst and Ivy decided to be the one to break it.

"Can we organise a meet with both Penguin and Black Mask to see what their stance is?" She asked lazily from her armchair.

"I will do it. I can organise both meetings for tomorrow night at the same time, which will allow us to cover more ground if we split up." Edward spoke loudly. "Jon, you and Selina can go pay Ozzie a visit while Harley, Ivy and I will meet with Sionis." He received a chorus of nods in response and he smirked at his ability to keep them all happy. For the moment.

x-x-x-x-x

The apartment was virtually silent after the women left. Jonathan was standing in the kitchen preparing two mugs of tea for himself and Edward. Much had been discussed throughout the day but the four women had been excellent at helping to suggest fellow rogues who would be inclined to take up arms against Ras and his league. He glanced at Edward, who was seated by the window and watching the hustle and bustle of Gotham going on below him with a curiously odd expression. "Edward?" He asked quietly. "What are you thinking about?"

At the window, Edward did not take his eyes of the long expanse of the town which was stretched out before him. "Just plotting. We have so many pieces on the chessboard that it will be hard to play them all."

"True." Jonathan conceded as he placed the cup down on the table and took the seat across from Edward and followed his gaze out to the city.

"Have we also considered the fact that not all of our masked friends will want to be involved in this little skirmish?" Edward took a sip of the tea and levelled his gaze at Jon.

"It's fight or die." Jon shrugged. "Either they join us or they face the wrath of Ras Al Ghul on their own. It's not a pleasant thought for any individual. I always tell you Edward, fear is the strongest motivator a person has and almost everyone fears death. Their fear will bring them to us."

Edward sighed. "I genuinely hope you are correct Jon."

"I usually am. I also wanted to run a small idea by you." He smirked, mimicking Edwards' earlier phrase.

"I'm listening."

"Well since we are going to be very busy criminals for the foreseeable future I think it would be unhealthy for us to not take some time out for ourselves. All work and no play, as the saying goes. And I also think it is incredibly cruel to keep out guest in the basement down there alone."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I am still incredibly offended by that insufferable Dr Rafferty and his sub-par ideas about who we are individuals."

"You just hate him because he was rude to you."

"Your point being?"

Edward snorted. "Okay Jon. You have convinced me. We'll take a little time out to pay the good Dr Rafferty a personal house call before we cordially invite him to spend a little time in our basement."

"Thank you Edward." Jon raised his mug slightly and clinked it with Edwards' as they sat and watched the darkening skyline.


	3. A Situation Has Arisen

"So is everyone clear on what the plan is?" Edward asked politely as he finished putting on his costume. "Ozzie is the main target but it would be beneficial for us to also have some support from Black Mask."

"Yeah Mistah E!" Harley shouted as she attempted to balance her huge hammer on the edge of her finger. "You've told us about a million times now! We know what'ta do."

"Selina. Jon." He turned to the duo who were preparing to go their separate way. "I'm counting on you both to succeed here."

Jon frowned. "It's not exactly difficult Edward. You do not need to coddle us like we are incompetent children."

"Well I would hope not. Do what you need to do to get us the support we require."

"Tell Black Mask that I hope he drops dead." Selina chimed in.

Edward grimaced at her tone. "If the opportunity arises I will let him know." He glanced around the room again as he watched the other four adjust their various costumes in preparation of the meetings ahead. He trusted Jon and Selina to do their part and since Oswald could usually be counted on to lend a helping hand when needed he was certain that they would not come back empty. His real concern lay with the meeting he was about to attend with Harley and Ivy. Black Masks' temper and sadistic qualities were legendary amongst the criminal world and while he knew that he could probably talk his way out of trouble, he was not convinced that the ladies would be quite as calm.

"We meet back here at 11pm sharp. That should give us all ample time to attend our meetings and possibly get food." Jon gave him an exasperated look. "What? Meetings with psychopaths make me hungry." He could hear Harley giggling at his answer as he fixed his tie for a final time.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Ms Li." Edward greeted warmly as they were led into Black Masks' private rooms. They had arrived exactly on time and so far everything had gone swimmingly. "You are looking as professional and beautiful as ever."

"Black Mask will see you in a moment. Please wait here." Ms Li replied evenly, giving no hint that she had heard Edwards' words but the small blush which was present high on her cheek suggested otherwise. "You will have around fifteen minutes to discuss your business."

"Good. I don't think I could stand his presence any longer that that." Ivy muttered.

"Pamela" Edward warned. She raised a perfect eyebrow at him and he sighed.

As the trio entered the room they were immediately met by Black Mask who was leaning against his desk and watching them passively as Ms Li shut the door and assumed her position at his side. "Nygma. It's been too long." Black Mask hummed sarcastically as he stared him down for a moment before turning to Harley. "Clown." His gaze hardened as he finally took in Ivy. "And the last time I seen you Plant-Bitch you were trying to have me digested for all eternity." Black Mask spat at Ivy, apparently having decided to forego niceties.

Harley growled in warning while Ivy smirked at the memory. "Ahh yes, I remember it fondly. My poor baby was in desperate need of something good to eat but it had to settle on you. But i'm curious, how did you manage to escape?"

"I don't need to tell you shit," Black Mask snorted, "I will miss being a black lantern though." He said wistfully to Ms Li who tilted her head slightly. "The power was incredible."

"I'm sure we are all terribly sorry for you loss, Sionis." Edward sighed. "But could we get down to the business at hand?"

"Whatever. So why exactly are you here?" Black Mask asked as he walked around the table and sat down cockily in his seat, swinging his feet on top of the desk in front of him.

"A situation has arisen," Edward began, "Have you heard of a man named Ras Al Ghul?"

Black Mask frowned for a moment before turnign to look at Ms. Li, who turned her head towards him and answered the unspoken question. "Ras Al Ghul is the leader of the League of Assassins. You had business with him over a decade ago."

"Good business?"

"Decidedly not. Every worker we provided him with did not return and are still presumed dead."

"Fucking great." Black Mask turned his attention back to the trio. "It would appear that I do know Ras Al Ghul. Why?"

"Ras Al Ghul has declared war against the Gotham rogues. All of us, including you, have been named as targets and we need your assistance if we are to fight back." Edward explained.

"Why should I help you?"

"Did you miss the part where I said he had declared war on us? You are counted amongst the damned."

"If this guy has a problem with me then he can come and get me himself." Black Mask growled while Ms. Li coughed politely. "What?!" Black Mask hissed as he turned towards her.

"Ras Al Ghul is incredibly powerful and I am unsure how successful any defense from us would be against him." She stated calmly. "To stand alone against him is ill-advised."

"WHAT?!" Jumping from his chair he stormed up to Ms Li and started to wave a finger at her aggressively. "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"

"If Ras Al Ghul were to decide to use his entire League to attack us we would be dead before we could even consider a counter attack, Sir."

Black Mask raised his fist and Edward could see Harley tensing as she prepared herself to jump in and prevent Black Mask from harming his steely assistant. Her actions proved unnecessary however as Sionis spun and smashed his fist against the desk in anger. "This is bullshit. What exactly do you need from me?" He spat at Edward.

"We need some weapons ta stop Ras from cuttin' us up inta teensy-tiny bits, Mistah Mask." Harley offered. "And some help wouldn't go amiss either yeah?" She batted her eyelashes.

Black Mask stared at her for a second before screwing his face up in distaste. "Who else do you have helping you?"

"That's nothing to do with you." Ivy simpered.

"Ivy." Edward hissed. "We also have Scarecrow and Catwoman having a meeting with Penguin at the moment." Honesty was the best policy in this situation as Edward had a sneaking suspicion that Sionis already knew about the other meeting.

"Ahh Catwoman. If you see her can you tell her i'm asking after her and her sister?" Black Mask said and the smirk was detectable in his voice.

Edward could hear Ivys' faint growl behind him and his own grip on his cane tightened as he struggled to keep his face free from the anger he was feeling. "Whatever you say Sionis. As an aside, I love the building." He gestured to the room around him. "The last time I saw this building it was in tatters after your little," he paused, "spat with the Red Hood and his rocket launcher. It looks good though."

Sionis hissed in fury at the memory as he glared at Edward. "I might be able to offer some bodies up for this army of yours but only at a price."

Edward held his eye. "And what is your price?"

"When I know that I will let you know. Let Ms. Li know of any developments or meetings which are being held and I may attend in person. Now get the fuck out of my office."

"With pleasure." Ivy purred as she walked out followed by Harley and Edward with Ms. Li bringing up the rear as she led them towards the exit.

"Ms. Li! Can I tell ya somethin'?" Harley piped up as they trailed through the corridor. Ms. Li tilted her head in consideration before nodding. "If Mistah Mask ever threatens ta hurt ya like that again ya can always come stay wi' me and Red. She don't like men who hit women and I know what it's like to take a punch!" She smiled sympathetically as she watched the small woman with the clipboard.

Ms. Li smiled slightly at Harleys' words. "I must disappoint you Miss Quinzel. Mr Sionis has never in his life made any attempt to strike or harm me in any way and I am very happy in his employment. So I respectfully decline your offer."

"Really?! Cause he looked all punchy when ya told him bout Ras."

"Mr Sionis does possess a slight temper," Ms. Li conceded, "but he is a good employer and I have outlived all his other employees and I fully intend to keep that streak."

Edward listened to the exchange intently. To his knowledge Ms. Li had been working for Sionis since his appearance on the criminal scene and he had always wondered how she managed to survive his sadistic and impulsive actions throughout the years. He supposed that there was clearly much more to the story than he was aware of and was content to let it lie. "I wonder how Jon and Selina are getting on." He muttered quietly to Ivy as they approached their stolen car.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Holding the large door open, Jonathan waited for Selina to enter. They were fifteen minutes early for their meeting with Oswald and they had been instructed to wait in the bar until he finished his current business. He glanced around the huge room with a small fond smile on his face. The Iceberg Lounge was the notorious watering hole of Gothams' criminal elite and only the most successful were allowed entry to the point where unquestioned entrance to the Iceberg Lounge was an important achievement for any up-and-coming criminal, masked or not, who wanted to make their mark. Jon himself had been a patron of this bar since his early days as the Scarecrow, back when he was known for being an assassin-for-hire instead of the master of fear. Smirking at the memory he watched Selina pass under his arm before allowing the door to close gently.

"Nice to see you are still ever the gentleman Jon. Such nice manners." Selina said with a small grin. "That's the one thing these young upstarts lack nowadays."

"I am a man of the people Selina. Poor manners are distasteful." Jon agreed. "I should probably confess that if you were Ivy I would have been sorely tempted to let the door slam on your face."

"How catty of you."

Jon levelled an exasperated stare at her. "Cat puns? Really?"

"Shut up. I'm in a good mood today Jon and you can't take me out of it." Selina grinned as she spotted one of the waitresses walking towards them from across the ballroom. "Ozzie will see us now." Following the waitress through to Ozzies' private office, they could see the man himself seated on his lavish armchair and puffing away at a cigar.

As soon as he spotted them he started to wave in a friendly manner and pointed to the two chairs which were seated across from him. "Please take a seat."

"Hey Ozzie." "Hello Oswald." Selina and Jon said at the same time as they took the pro-offered seat.

"Would either of you like a drink?" Oswald asked pleasantly.

"I'll have a martini if one is going." Selina winked.

Jon nodded. "Whiskey. On the rocks."

"Sam! You heard them." He shouted at the waitress who was hanging awkwardly by the doorway. The click of her heels filled the silence of the room as she sped away. "So you've come to ask for my help in your fight against Ras Al Ghul." He continued.

"Yes." Jonathan answered simply. He was not surprised that Penguin already knew about the growing danger, if there was anyone who was clued in to all the various goings-on in Gotham it was Oswald. His network of spies was second to none.

"Lucky for you both, I have had a decent amount of time to think about my position in this fight and I have come to the conclusion that Ras Al Ghul is a real danger to us all and it would be very beneficial to me if he was taken...out of the equation."

"That's the plan Ozzie." Selina nodded as Sam reappeared with their drinks. Picking hers off the tray she continued. "I am sure you're aware that we'll need help."

"You needing help is a troubling event on its own. You are such a capable young woman."

"That I am." She raised her glass and clinked it with his own.

"So what can you do to help us Oswald. I am sure you are aware that Edward, Ivy and Harley are currently meeting with Black Mask to see what his position is."

"I am aware." Penguin admitted. "But I will never let it be said that Oswald Copplepot is a man who does not help his friends. I will provide you with the weapons you need to deal with your little assassin problem but," he paused to readjust his monocle, "you will need to travel to Central City to pick them up yourself. I do not want my name to be associated with the shipment should it fall into the wrong hands. You both understand i'm sure."

"That's okay Ozzie." Selina smiled. "We can go pick them up. Thank you for the assistance."

"For you kitten, anything." Smirking, Ozzie bowed slightly in her direction. "Since I also have a vested interest in this little fight I will provide you with some fighters to fill your ranks. I will also spread the word to other masked villains who you would probably be unable to reach and see if they are interested in fighting to defend their turf."

"Thank you Oswald." Jon said sincerely. "Your contribution will not be forgotten."

"Well I should hope not, wah." Ozzie grinned as he leaned back in his chair and made himself comfortable. "So," he paused, "what gossip do you have for your dear old friend Oswald today then?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Frowning as he checked his watch again, Edward was filled with concern. It was now midnight and Jon and Selina were nowhere to be found. Jon was a man who prided himself on his timekeeping and being this late for something was extremely out of character. Ivy and Harley were lying together on the couch and Harley was casually braiding one section of Ivys' hair. He was about to call on them both to see if they wanted to mount a search party when his phone started to vibrate.

Ivy and Harley looked up as Edward answered his phone. They could only hear one half of the conversation though. "Jon." Edward hissed. "Are you drunk? Uh-huh. And is Selina still there? Tell her I can hear her. And what did Ozzie say?" He paused for a few moments. "Good! That's excellent. I'll speak to you when you're less intoxicated. Goodnight." His tone was bitchy as he hung up and put the phone back into his trouser pocket.

"So?" Ivy asked as she ran her fingers up and down Harleys' arm, causing the blonde to shiver.

"Ozzie has agreed to help and Jon and Selina are still at the Iceberg Lounge. Apparently they got into a gossiping session with Oswald and the decided that a few drinks seemed like a better idea than coming back to inform us of developments." Edward said and his irritation was apparent.

"You sound bitter, Mistah E! Let 'em have their fun!" Harley pointed her finger at him as she spoke. "It's nice ta let ya hair down once in a while. It's not your fault that your boyfriends a party animal!"

"I'm going to my bed. Let yourselves out." Edward said simply as he disappeared into his bedroom. Ivy and Harley watched the closed door for a few seconds before letting loose their laughter.


	4. What Brought That On?

_Time really does fly when you're having fun_ , Edward mused as he stared at the large clock which sat on the marble mantelpiece. It had been exactly five days since their meetings with Black Mask and Penguin had taken place and everything had become increasingly hectic since. Both Jervis and Dent had now officially allied themselves with the rogues and Edward had already met with Jervis to discuss his plans involving the fate of the assassin. He was going to execute it later after himself and Jonathan had dealt with the small issue of the package which Jonathan had been sent to collect. Dent had arrived at the door two days ago, claiming that he had received word from Ozzie that Edward had information about the mysterious entity who had stolen his money. After a quick explanation of the threats made by the League, Dent had agreed to help since it was probably the only chance he would have at any semblance of revenge.

His thoughts were cut short as Jonathan entered the front door suddenly. "Do you have the package?" Edward asked excitedly as he bounded up to him. Jon had been gone longer than expected and Edward was beginning to worry that he had run into some difficulty.

Jon grinned wolfishly. "Of course I do. You really should have more faith in me."

"I do have faith in you. But in Gotham we are usually affected by forces outside of our control."

"Admittedly true. Do you want to come down and assist me in bringing it upstairs?"

"Of course! What kind of partner would I be if I refused to help." Edward laughed as he exited the apartment and followed Jonathan down the stairs. "Do you have everything set up in the basement for this?"

"Yes. I finished the preparations before I left." Jonathan held the large door to he apartment building open as Edward passed through. Their small car was parked directly outside and Jonathan moved to the boot and entered the key.

"Aaand what's behind door number one?" Edward called out quietly in a showmans' voice. Jonathan smirked as he pulled the boot door upwards and revealed its contents. The majority of the available space was taken up by a tightly hunched figure whose hand and feet were hog-tied together. Using his hands to flip the person around, Edward was confronted by the bruised face of Dr Rafferty.

"Wow Jon! It appears that we have won a rude and moronic hack!" He paused. "I would have been happier with a new kitchen table."

"Why don't we show out new house guest to his accommodation in the basement?" Jon asked while the doctors eyes widened in fear. "Don't worry Dr Rafferty, or should I say Fred? I think I will stick with Fred since we're housemates now." Jon mused. "Anyway, you won't be alone in the basement so lets go meet your new friend."

x-x-x-x-x

The assassin turned her head as her two captors entered the room with another man in tow. She had been moved from the large chair in the centre of the room to another smaller chair and her eyes narrowed as she watched the duo strap the struggling third man into the chair she had previously occupied. The taller of the two men, the one who called himself Scarecrow, looked over at her before speaking. "You will have some company for a small amount of time. We thought it was cruel to leave you here alone."

"I look forward to your death." The assassin responded without missing a beat.

"That's not a very nice way to speak to the men who have been nothing but hospitable since your arrival."

"Leave her Jon. We have more fun things to attend to." Edward interrupted as he pulled the small blindfold from Raffertys' face. "Hello Fred. So what do you think of your new home?" Raffertys' wide eyes, filled with terror, darted across the room as he came to terms with the predicament he was now in. Edward watched as Jonathan slid over to his workbench and started to fill a syringe with toxin. Following his path, Edward watched the filled syringe with a strange look.

Noticing his expression Jonathan spoke. "What is it Edward? I have no intentions of dosing you with anything at the current moment if that is what's concerning you."

"It's not that Jon." Edward shook his head. "I was actually going to ask if I could, umm, inject the toxin?" Jonathans' head shot to the side as he gave Edward his full attention. He had not seen that question coming. Usually when they worked together like this Edward preferred to stay far away from the toxin itself and Jonathan figured he was just keeping himself out of the path of temptation. "I just thought I should give it a go since I haven't ever actually done it before. Well?"

"I have no problem with that." Jon replied, handing Edward the needle. He was very possessive of his precious formula and he could count the number of times others had used his toxin in front of him on one hand, but this was the first time he had given consent to such an action. "Inject directly into the vein for an almost instant response time."

Edward nodded and Jonathan felt a burst of some unknown emotion as Edward slid the needle slowly into Freds' neck, his tongue poking out slightly from between his lips as he concentrated on his actions and Jon saw him exhale deeply as he pressed the plunger down and released the toxin. Watching Edward standing there with the empty syringe in one hand and eyes that shone with curiosity while a cruel smile played on his lips was too much for him. Ignoring the panicking doctor he yanked Edward towards him for an aggressive kiss. Stiffening in surprise, Edward took a few moments to respond and he yelped a little as he felt Jon bite down on his lower lip harshly. He pulled away looking a little shocked. "What brought that on? Not that I am complaining."

"I will admit that I find you increasingly more attractive when you're in this frame of mind. That beautiful mind of yours has so much destructive potential."

"Why am I not surprised that you like me more when i'm in this mood?"

"I can understand and appreciate the inner darkness that you possess. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing." Edward replied fondly. "Shall we?" He gestured to Fred who was now fully under the toxins effects and was staring at the darkness of the basement with unrestrained fear.

"According to his records Fred here suffers from arachnophobia, a common if irrational fear." Jonathan informed Edward. "Watch." Standing quietly to the side of the doctor, Jonathan used one of his hands to gently tap up his restrained arms, mimicking the movements of a spider. At the motion, Fred started to shriek as he stared at his arm while his hallucinating mind did the rest of the work. "See?"

"Impressive." Standing on the opposite side, Edward copied Jonathans' movements on Freds' other arm. The mans' shrieks increased as he tried desperately to escape from the chair. "Can he hear us?"

"I gave him a rather strong dose so the hallucinations are particularly vivid but I suppose if he stopped screaming for long enough he could hear us easily. Lets try." Jon walked around so that he could stand directly in front of him and snapped his fingers to gain his attention. "Fred. Fred! Let's not overreact now. We have so many other things we need to discuss." Fred stopped screaming long enough to give Jonathan eye-contact. "Like, for example, the fact that you have a niece yes?" His head flew from side to side as he denied the claim.

"He does." Edward chimed in. "He claimed guardianship of her after the death of his sister ten years ago which left the child orphaned." He paused before pulling a small book from behind his back. "Or at least that's what she claims in her diary." Fred took one look at the book in Edwards' hand and something in his expression collapsed as he began to shudder. "I know you're probably wondering how I got this diary." He waved it about. "Occam's razor: the simplest answer is usually correct. I picked it up from her room when Jon and I paid a small visit to your home."

"Ten years is a long time to be the guardian to a child. Does she call you her father?" Rafferty shook his head as the tears fell down his face. "That's a shame. But you do consider her your daughter yes? The child that you and your wife have yet to have." Jon clasped his hands in front of his body as he considered his words. "Such as shame that her father figure chose to make enemies of some of the most dangerous men in Gotham City."

"You wronged my partner with your words Fred." Edward said loudly as he came to stand beside Jonathan in front of the trapped doctor. "You hurt someone I care about so it seems prudent that we afford you that same luxury." Freds' eyes widened as he violently struggled against his bonds.

"She was such a pretty young thing." Jonathan commented. "Intelligent too if her grades were anything to go by, such wasted potential." Fred attempted to speak under his gag and Jonathan leaned towards him to remove it. "Something to say Fred?"

"Wh-what have you done with h-her?" He sobbed, his horror overcoming his fear for a few moments.

"We did nothing." Edward smirked. "We are not monsters. We merely handed her over to a friend of ours who was more than happy to take her."

"Who?" Fred asked, looking thoroughly broken.

"Jervis Tetch." Jon grinned viciously. "He had been desperate for a new Alice for weeks and since he is a such a dear friend to the both of us we felt obliged to help him. As soon as he caught sight of her blonde hair and pretty features he was sold. So we have done nothing to her, but I can't say the same for Jervis. Even I find the way he treats his," Jon paused, "'female companions' quite distasteful."

At Jons' words the doctor let out a sharp keening noise which pierced the quiet of the basement. The noise lasted for less than a few seconds before his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he passed out. "Well that went about as well as could be expected. I was hoping that he would last a little longer than that. I feel...unfulfilled." Edward frowned. "Are we going to kill him?" He asked passively as he watched the unconscious doctors' eyes dart about underneath the closed lids.

Jon pursed his lips as he considered the question. "No. I think I would rather have him alive and afraid. We can drop him in streets after he has enjoyed our hospitality for another day or two."

"Not possible. We leave for Central City first thing tomorrow morning. Selina is meeting us in the morning since you drunkenly invited her along, so we will need to drop him before that."

"If Selina wanted to come she would have found a reason to attend. I merely cut out the unnecessary drivel. We can drop the doctor off later tonight after he reawakens."

"Agreed." Edward smirked. He walked over the small table and picked up the old book which lay there. "I know I do not say it very often but your toxin is impressive. To force a man to hallucinate this tatty book as a childs' diary is a hard feat. Fifty dollars says he passes out again when he discovers his niece alive and well in their home."

"That is a fools bet which I will not be taking. And yes, my toxin is revolutionary and it is such a pity that I am ostracised from society for creating it. Your hacking of the Arkham system to get the information about his life that we needed was an enjoyable extra. It adds a certain theatrical quality to these sessions." He vaguely nodded in Edwards' direction to show his appreciation before he asked the question he was desperate to know. "Did you enjoy it? There are few things as satisfying as watching the last vestiges of hope leave an individuals eyes."

"I did enjoy this more hands-on approach. Maybe we could make this a recurring event in the near future?" Jon grinned at the thought. "That is, if we assume that Ras will be unsuccessful in murdering us brutally. But while we're on the subject of mind destruction I think we should deal with our assassin problem while we have the opportunity. The necessary tools are all present down here." Edward pulled one of the steel containers out of its slot and placed it on the large table beside Jonathan. Within the container it was possible to see a collection of surgical tools and a large bottle of iodine.

"I suppose I should go wash my hands then." Jon laughed. "Shall we put her fully under or leave her awake?" He asked maliciously.

"While I am tempted to leave her awake as vengeance for my ten-thousand dollar table which she destroyed we should probably put her fully under. We're not monsters." Edward turned to wink at the assassin who was beginning to show signs of nervousness under her stoic features. "Dr Crane to the surgery please. Dr Crane." Edward called out loudly as Jon returned with the hospital-grade anesthetic which he immediately injected into the wary assassin as she attempted to flinch away.

x-x-x-x-x

Jonathan applied the final stitch with a self-satisfied smirk. "Those surgical classes I took in university really did pay off in the long run."

"You have done an excellent job." Edward agreed as he pulled his surgical gloves off with his teeth. "A tiny scar on her hairline should go unnoticed for a long time which is exactly what we need." The assassin herself was still fully unconscious and she was not expected to awaken for quite some time. When she did awake, the next step would be to ensure that Jon had not accidentally damaged any of her functions while he was operating. That would be an unfortunate setback.

"What did you actually promise Jervis in exchange for one of his mind-control chips?" Jon asked curiously.

"Nothing. He agreed to give me it after I informed him of what we were all facing. Jervis may be deluded at times but he has a great sense of self-preservation."

"Excellent but what is the code-word we need to activate our little assassin? I am assuming Jervis informed you about how these mind-control chips work?"

"It was not difficult to understand. Why don't we make it 'Would you kindly?'" Edward smirked. "It has a certain ring to it.

Jonathan noticed the smirk. "That seems extraordinarily random." Jon frowned. "Is that a reference to something?"

"Honestly Jon we need to get you more involved in the world. You're getting old and out of touch."

"Careful Edward. Unless you want me to perform a little surgery on you?" Jonathan waved the bone-saw threateningly.

"Not today thank you."

"So we activate our assassin and send her on her merry way back to the League with the instruction that she is to act naturally and, if asked, to claim that she was kidnapped by some unknown entity before she was able to escape?"

"Exactly. And then we will have our own spy within the League until we speak the second phrase which will activate the second part of her mental compulsion."

"You realise that if this does not work then we will be in serious trouble. And I really will miss you after Ras Al Ghul decides to use your skull as a drinking cup."

"It will work." Edward said confidently while giving Jonathan a slight frown at the second comment. "I hope."


	5. My Lips Are Sealed

Glancing outside the window, the first thing Jon noticed was the small sign which read 'Welcome To Central City'. Selina had arrived on time and Edward had volunteered to drive which left Jon sitting in the passenger seat while Selina lounged in the back. The sun was shining and its rays powered down on the small car as it wove in and out of other traffic on its journey to Central City. They were scheduled to pick up the weapons which Penguin had arranged for them and they had planned to arrive as early as possible. There was an awful humidity to the air which left Jonathan feeling mildly uncomfortable as the harsh memories of his childhood spent on the farm began to seep into his consciousness. They had been stewing in the car for the last hour and Jonathan was about a minute away from rolling the window down and throwing himself out onto the cool ground. Shaking his head to dispel his negative thoughts he asked conversationally. "Do you remember our first meeting?"

"Yes of course I do." Selina replied. "We were in the Iceberg Lounge and you were being your usual pleasant self so I told you to lighten up." She stretched out her arms. "Which you apparently took offence to since I also remember you waiting outside for me to leave so that you could gas me with your filthy toxin."

"Don't be offended Selina dear." Edward interrupted as he changed gear. "He does that to everybody. It's his own special way of saying hello."

"You did insult me child. And as I recall I was unfortunately unsuccessful in my attempts to gas you." Jon continued, choosing to ignore Edward.

"Yes but that's only because I completely kicked your ass in my four inch stilettos." Selina smirked at the memory. "You've become a much better fighter since then. I remember you being all limbs with no coordination. You looked like a flailing chicken."

Laughing at Jons' expense, Edward interrupted again. "What was it you told me that fighting style was called?" He took one hand off the wheel to rub his chin as he tried to remember. "Remember? You got drunk one night and confessed it to me...ahh yes! 'Violent Dancing'! Isn't that right Jon? Some people learn karate, some people learn ju-jitsu, Jon learned violent dancing."

Jon squinted at the harsh sun outside. "I've never seen anyone try to drive under the influence of fear toxin but now i'm genuinely curious as to what the results would be."

"If you gas me now then I will be totally unavailable sexually for this entire visit. How are we supposed to have a threesome if i'm out of commission? You can't have fun without me." Edward pouted.

"How did you ever manage to reach the conclusion that we were going to have a threesome?" Selina sighed. "I don't remember being consulted on that. Was our one night of passion that good that you want a repeat?"

"In all likelihood we will be dead within the next month and I don't want to die without having had a threesome with the two of you specifically. Lets be realists here, you two are only sitting at one degree of separation so it seems only natural..."

Selina scoffed. "What do you mean you want a threesome with us 'specifically'? Have you really had a threesome before? I don't believe it."

Edwards' smirk became more pronounced. "Ask no questions and i'll tell you no lies Selina."

"There is no way! You dirty little imp. Who?"

"Like the Norse god Loki after one of his little shenanigans, my lips are sealed."

"It was with his two old henchgirls and partners in crime," Jon offered with a smirk of his own, "Query and Echo. He told me about it years ago, back when we were friends."

"Jon!" Edward frowned. "So much for keeping an air of mystery around myself."

"I still don't believe it." Selina exclaimed as she poked her head through the seats into the front of the car. "Eddie, you were such a frightened little birdie when we went at it, no way you had a threesome with those two demons."

Sighing in irritation at the turn of events, Edward pulled out his phone, quickly typed in a number and waited for a response. Eventually Jon could faintly hear a male voice answering the phone. "Hello. It's Edward. We arrived earlier than expected so if you are still up for that drink we can meet you. Who's we? Well it's myself, Jonathan and Selina. Selina Kyle yes." He paused, juggling the phone on his shoulder as he attempted to keep driving. "I'll have you know that Catwoman and I are on very good terms. Okay then. So i'll meet you in fifteen minutes at that bar you like? Excellent. See you then Snart."

Selina raised her eyebrows. "Leonard Snart? Captain Cold? Noted thief and all-round 'cool' character?" Edward nodded in response. "Well this should be fun." She hesitated. "How do you even know Captain Cold?"

"I worked a job together a few years ago with him, his sister and a few of the other rogues and we've kept in vague contact since. As far as criminals go, he is one of the best i've worked with and it's always good to have a person like him in your contact book." Taking a sudden left, Edward continued to drive them to the pre-arranged meeting point.

x-x-x-x-x

Entering the small bar, Edward was immediately drawn to the blonde-haired man who was seated quietly in one of the booths to the side of the room. "Cold!" Edward greeted warmly. "How have you been?" He held out his hand to the stoic-looking rogue. Cold glanced at the hand for a moment before accepting. As they shook Edward gave Cold a quick assessment, he was in pretty good shape and looked much healthy than Edward remembered. Clearly Central City had been good to him since the last time they had met.

"Edward." He nodded in response. "I'm fine thanks." Cold let go of Edwards' hand and gave Jonathan and Selina a quick once over, before his eyes landed on Selina again. "And who is this beauty?"

"That's Jonathan," Edward smirked cheekily as he pointed to his partner, "and he technically belongs to me. I do not think the two of you have ever met but you might know him better by his alias, the Scarecrow." Cold kept his face blank but Edward could see a sudden nervousness enter them. Good. Jons' reputation as an individual better avoided did have its benefits and Edward loved the small thrill he got from the fear his partners name inspired in others. "Oh! You meant this beauty!" He gestured to Selina. "This is Selina Kyle also known as Catwoman. I'm sure you already know who she is since you asked about her on the phone. Please keep your wandering eyes and hands to yourself, this meeting is for business not pleasure and I won't have you touching my guests."

Colds' frown deepened as Edward continued his speech. "Edward be nice." Selina purred as she moved towards Snart. "You can't blame the man for asking about me. Have you seen me? I'm a work of art."

"Your modest is your most stunning feature my dear." Jon offered as Selina draped herself over Colds' shoulder.

"Shush Jon." Selina replied as she moved slightly away from Cold and made herself comfortable in the booth to the side of him.

Taking the hint Jon and Edward sat on the opposite side of the table and Edward slowly removed his gloves. "So how is Central City then? Has she been treating you well?" Edward asked conversationally as he ordered a round of drinks. Whiskey for him and Jon, another beer for Cold and some gin and tonic for Selina.

"Central City is always good. Unlike Gotham, Central City is actually a decent place to work and live in. There are rules here which we all abide by and it keeps life easy."

"Are you implying that there is something wrong with Gotham?" Edward laughed, unable to even keep a straight face at the question."

Colds mouth twitched as he took another swig of his beer. "Y'know the last time I visited Gotham City was to meet a new contact I had and between me arriving and me meeting the guy I witnessed one murder, two muggings, saw a man stab another man with a pen, inadvertently stopped a kidnapping and I swear I saw a bat-creature fly into an alleyway and disappear."

"Oh so you finally got a glance at the Bat? What did you think?"

"It wasn't Batman." Cold shook his head. "Unless Batman is covered in brown fur and screeches like a damn car alarm."

Jonathan snorted. "Well then, I think you got your first glance at Dr Langstrom."

"Poor Man-Bat." Selina sighed dramatically. "Did you know that I sometimes leave him out food at night?"

"For a villain you are a very kind person." Cold observed as he placed a hand on her leg. "Usually people from Gotham are questionable but you seem to be the exception." He ignored Edwards' scandalised look.

Selina smiled politely. "I do try to be a good person." She brought one of her small hands up to cover the hand which was lingering just above her knee. "But it's a work in progress." Her smile hardened as she grabbed his hand and twisted it sharply causing Cold to gasp out in pain and snatch it back to his chest. "Are we clear?"

"Crystal. But that was a really nice move." Cold grinned. "You should teach me it sometime."

"Why am I not surprised that me almost breaking your hand didn't put you off?" Selina sighed.

"I like a challenge. Why don't you try to warm this cold heart?"

Jon interrupted suddenly. "Have you two forgotten that we are here? You are disgusting." Pausing their bickering momentarily, both Cold and Selina gave Jon a hard look before they went back to their squabble.

"Jon! Don't be so bitter. It's young love! Don't you remember when we were like that?" Edward whispered as he sneakily grabbed Jons' hand and brought it up for a quick kiss before Cold could see. He wasn't sure if Cold knew about their relationship and he did not want to give the game away too soon.

"No Edward. We were too busy trying not to murder each other to have time for that kind of foreplay." He whispered back.

"You consider almost breaking someones' hand foreplay?"

"For us? Yes." Jon answered simply. Edward couldn't hold his laughter and it filled the quiet bar as he chuckled away. Jonathan constantly tried to deny that he had a sense of humour but Edward knew better.

"What are you laughing at?" Selina asked suspiciously.

Grinning like a loon, Edward answered her. "Nothing dear. Absolutely nothing." Sobering slightly, he directed his attention back to Cold. "So Snart, have you noticed anything odd happening in Central City recently?"

"Such as?" Cold prompted.

"Well, have you or any of your rogues been attacked recently? By ninjas? For example."

Colds' eyes narrowed as he stared at Edward and Edward could see the wheels turning in his head. "Not that I can recall. I can ask about if you like but I am almost certain that nothing like that's been going on." He paused. "Does this have anything to do with the dead criminals that I keep hearing about that are being found in Gotham?" Colds' perceptiveness served him well.

"It might." Edward answered while Jon and Selina attempted to look as uninterested as possible.

"Cut the bullshit Nygma." Cold sat his beer down on the table. "There's something going on in Gotham. I knew it as soon as you contacted me and said you were coming to Central! Why are you actually here?" He stopped to look Edward square in the eye. "Don't bring your trouble to my doorstep. Central City is my city."

"I'm sure the Flash would disagree with you there." Edward mumbled. "But to answer your question honesty, we are in a spot of trouble and we've been sent here to collect some weapons which we can put to good use."

"Who are you collecting them from?" Cold was interested, he hadn't heard of any major weapon deals going down.

"I am unsure. The man who organised this exchange made a point of not saying who we were meeting. All I know is that we are meeting at the docks at 10pm."

"Which dock?"

"Dock 12." Selina piped up. "The meeting is being held at Dock 12. Do you know who runs that particular dock?" She asked seductively.

Laughing at her sudden change of attitude, Cold winked at her. "I might. If I remember correctly that dock is controlled by the biggest gun runner in Central City."

"Who?" Jon raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Some guy named Coeus. Haven't ever actually seen him, no one has. I've heard that he has hired two ruthless bosses that do all his work for him."

"Interesting. I suppose we should suit up before meeting him then." Edward nodded to both Selina and Jon. "Thanks for the drink Snart. If you are ever in Gotham and need a guide then you have my number."

"Thanks Nygma." He jerked his head in acceptance. "But i'd rather have your number." He winked at Selina again.

"Careful Cold." Jon warned. "I do not think the Batman would be very pleased if he found out you were eyeing up his paramour."

"Paramour?" Selina hissed, suddenly incensed.

"Well he does have a point." Edward shrugged.

"Screw the pair of you." Selina picked up a small napkin and scrawled her number on it. "There." She smirked as she slammed it down and stalked out of the bar. Picking up the small piece of paper, Cold smiled as he tucked it inside his blue parka jacket.


	6. My Business Is My Business

"Even the docks here are nicer than in Gotham." Selina quipped as they walked past the various darkened warehouses which stretched out along the waterline. The sun which had been so punishing throughout the day had vanished and the night was much more cool with only a small hint of the earlier humidity still lingering in the air.

Jonathan smiled as he pulled his thin coat closer across his body. "Gotham City does have its charms. Central City would get so...boring after a while. Plus the criminals here lack that extra touch of true ruthlessness which makes Gotham such a fun place to work in." Spotting the large warehouse they were due to meet their weapon dealers in, he started to pick up the pace a little. The sooner this was over, the sooner he could get back to a warm indoors.

"It's very dark and secluded here." Edward commented as he looked around. "Perfect territory for doing something naughty, eh Jon? Why don't we have a little sinful fun and Selina can keep a lookout, or even join in, whatever suits her fancy."

"Are you still on about this threesome thing Edward?" Selina asked as she kicked a small pebble out into the water and watched the ripples it created.

"No." Edward attempted to sound offended but the childish grin on his face ruined the effect. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing." He pushed open the small door to the warehouse as they arrived and led the pair inside as he continued to speak. "I'll have you know that I am a very good boy who was top in all my classes and i would nev-" His words were cut off by two large dark shapes which flew from the darkness and launched themselves on his body.

Falling to the ground in surprise, Edward let out a very high and embarrassing yelp. The breath was knocked from his body as he faintly attempted to fend off whatever had attacked him. He glanced at Selina and Jon who were watching him passively and he was momentarily confused as to why they weren't making an effort to help him. He was just above to shove whomever was lying on his chest to the side when he suddenly recognised the feminine giggle which the person was making. "Query?" He asked before he looked at his legs and spotted a short mane of brown hair. "Echo?"

"HEY BOSS!" The pair squealed in unison, clearly pleased to have been reunited with their estranged employer.

Laughing merrily, Edward lay still on the ground as he allowed the girls to help each other up and fix their lavish yet revealing outfits. "So, you two are the pair of 'ruthless bosses' i've been hearing so much about?" He couldn't help the well of affection he felt at the sight of his two former henchwomen. Edward had long come to terms with the fact that he would never have children but these two women were the closest thing he would ever have to a legacy and he wanted nothing more than for them to continue to succeed in their criminal ventures.

"Hello Query and Echo." Selina greeted while Jon nodded. "We have a meeting with your boss Coeus. Where is he?" She asked politely after allowing the trio the momentary reunion. Selina had only encountered these girls a handful of times but they had definitely left a lasting impression.

"Haven't you worked it out yet dear? Coeus doesn't exist. Sure he doesn't ladies?" Edward grinned as they both held a hand out to help pull him to his feet.

"Nope." "Nuh-huh." The two girls replied in sync as they yanked his body upwards. Once he was upright he placed an arm around each girls waist and they settled into his hug like they had all those years ago.

"Even I am a little confused." Jonathan admitted. "Care to give a more thorough explanation?"

"Sure." Query grinned as she brushed her blonde hair from her eyes. "When we arrived in Central City with the money bossman gave us," she paused to indicate Edward with a fishnet glove covered hand, "we knew that the criminals here probably wouldn't take us seriously. So we hired some goons and got them to spread the word about a new weapons dealer named Coeus who was on the scene while we set ourselves up as his 'top lieutenants'. We've been working this gig ever since."

"And no one has ever even asked to see Coeus?" Selina asked.

"Well of course they have! But we also have a male contact that we use to make phone calls for us so people can hear a mans voice as a bluff and we have worked up a mannequin system to make it look like someone is working in the office while we're out doing the actual field work. So far we've not been caught. Your friend Penguin has been helping us out a lot too."

"He's never mentioned it." Edward said in surprise. He had assumed that Ozzie would have let him know if he was overseeing his girls new business venture.

Echo shrugged. "Cobblepot seems to really like you boss. Plus we make a lot of coins working this gig."

"That'll be it." Jon offered wryly but his eyes widened slightly at both women suddenly turned their gaze to him sharply.

"You!" Query said accusingly as she pointed a manicured finger at Jon. "What's this I hear about you almost killing our favourite boss?"

"Yeah! What gives Crow?" Echo jumped in. "Even we heard about that incident. What the hell? I hope he kicked your ass afterwards." She hissed as they both started to advance towards Jonathan, whose face was still stuck in mild shock at the turn of conversation.

"Girls." Edward warned quietly. "Back off. My business is my business." He couldn't have the girls fighting with Jon, although that was mostly for their own safety since he knew Jon was armed and would not hesitate the gas the pair if he felt threatened. The girls stood their ground for a moment before they deflated under his serious gaze.

Echo sniffed. "I'm still not happy about it."

"I know Nina dear, but the issue has been dealt with." Edward smiled, the loyalty of his girls to his overall well-being touched him deeply. "If you want to do something to make me happy then provide me with the weapons i'm here to collect and also maybe consider calling me a bit more often." He chastised softly.

"Of course we'll give you what you need! You know you just need to ask." Query nodded. "We'll show your our books and you can choose from our stock. How much are you looking for?"

"Let me have a look at your books first dear. I want to take enough to deal with my problems but I don't want to put your business under."

"Are you in serious trouble boss?" Echo piped up, her eyes widening with concern. "Do you want Query and me to come back to Gotham and help you out? We have a few contacts we could call to cover us here."

"No." Edward said firmly. He did not want his girls put in the firing line for a fight which was not theirs to make. "You will stay here and not interfere. Do you hear me? Query? Echo?" He gave them both a stern look. "No matter what you hear through the grapevine you must not come to Gotham City until my business is finished with."

"Okay boss." They agreed quietly, falling into their old roles as his employees with ease. "Follow us up to the main office and you can see what you want to have sent back to Gotham. Do you have any other questions for us?" Query continued.

"Yeah!" Selina exclaimed. "I have a question. Is it true that you both had a threesome with Edward. We were arguing about it in the car earlier and I don't believe him." She heard Edward sigh as a wicked grin lit up on both Query and Echos' faces.

"Oh hell yeah it's true." Echo grinned sinfully. "But it was only once, as much as Query and I tried to have a repeat. Why? Is he trying to convince you two into having one?" She guessed accurately. "You should go for it. It's wicked fun."

"Thank you for that excellent, if unnecessary, endorsement dear." Edward said quietly. "Shall we leave the topic of my sex life and proceed to the actual reason we are here now?"

"Why? Are you uncomfortable all of a sudden Edward?" Jon asked and his voice held a cheeky lilt to it.

"Shut up Jon."

x-x-x-x-x

"Was it nice to see your former workers again Edward?" Jonathan asked curiously as the trio returned to the small motel which they had booked for their overnight stay. It had been Selinas' idea to spend the remainder of the night in Central and just travel back in the early morning and Jon and Edward were tired enough to see the logic in her plan. After the meeting with the girls had finished they organised to have the weapons sent back to Gotham as quickly as possible and they agreed to collect them from the drop-off point in three days. "How did you feel at seeing them all grown up and away from your influence?"

"They may have flown the nest Jon but I can safely say that they have not escaped my influence." Edward chuckled as he sat on the bed between Jon and Selina.

"And how can you be so certain?

"Simple. They chose the codename 'Coeus' for their invisible boss." Edward smirked. "Coeus. The Greek titan god of intellect or, more specifically, of asking questions. Does that sound like anyone you know?"

Selina snorted at the response while Jon frowned a little. "You are many things Edward but a god? I don't think so."

"I offered to prove my amazing abilities to the pair of you but I was given a blatant no."

"The threesome again?" Selina sighed. "Will you ever shut up about that?"

"Unlikely. If Ras Al Ghul does succeed in killing me before I get my wish then I swear I will come back as a very intimidating and persistent spectre. I am sure you would hate for me to have 'unfinished business' or whatever it is people claim spirits have."

Deciding that it would be fun to wind Edward up a little, Selina rolled off the bed before standing and making a show of stretching her body out while yawning exaggeratedly. "Well gentleman, as fun as this is i'm going to bed. Goodnight." She waved gracefully and moved towards the adjoining room.

"What? So now I do not even get a goodnight kiss?" Edward came out of his sulk to call cheekily. Stopping where she was, Selina turned to look at the two men who were still seated beside each other on the edge of the relatively-large double bed. "Please?"

Sighing, Selina walked back over to him before bending down slightly and placing a small kiss on his cheek before standing again and muttering sarcastically. "Goodnight Edward." Sensing the opportunity for real mischief, she turned to Jonathan. "Would you like a goodnight kiss too Jon?" She tilted her head slightly so that she could wink at Jonathan conspiratorially without Edward seeing her.

"Of course Selina." Jon smirked. He was not sure what her plan was but any opportunity to annoy Edward was always going to be a good thing. Walking away from Edward, Selina moved until she was standing directly in front of Jonathan, who was raising an eyebrow at her in obvious question. Without warning she placed herself down seductively on his lap and used her hands to push his chest hard enough to force him backwards onto the double bed, giving her the perfect opportunity to move up a little so that she could straddle him fully.

"Well this is unexp-" Jonathans' words were cut off by Selinas' lips on his as she leaned down and kissed him gently. She heard Edward gasp and she smirked into Jonathans' mouth. Being able to shock Edward was a rare gift and it really did make her smile.

Still a little shell-shocked, Jonathan lay still as Selina continued to kiss him passionately. Realising that he probably wouldn't get the chance again he started to kiss back, partially because he knew it would get Edward worked up and partially because Selina was undeniably talented. Choosing to be bold, he bit Selinas' lip quite firmly and smiled at the small hiss that she gave in response. Obviously rising to the challenge, her eyes narrowed and Edward swore he saw her tongue slide into Jons' mouth.

Stunned by the turn of events, Edward sat with wide eyes. "Not going to lie, I am extremely turned on over here." He remarked heatedly as he lay on his side and continued to watch the pair kiss beside him. Taking a hand off the side of Jonathans' face, Selina flipped Edward off while she finished kissing his partner.

Deciding that enough was enough, Selina rolled off Jonathan quickly and landed on her feet beside the bed before walking back to the door which separated the bedrooms. "Goodnight boys. If I catch either of you trying to enter my bedroom tonight I will remove your testicles with the tiny cutlery I have stashed away in one of the cupboards." She paused to blow them a quick kiss before closing the door quietly.

The room was silent for a few seconds before Jonathan spoke quietly. "You know Edward, seeing how your birthday is actually coming up and since I am a very accommodating partner, if you really wanted to have a threesome with Selina then I suppose I can live with that. If you can get her to agree that is. Lets call it a one-time birthday treat."

Edward laughed heartily. "Enjoy that did you?" He grinned.

"Might have. Selina is quite the beauty and I suppose I could sacrifice a night of my life to sampling her wicked ways."

"I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear that. So you're on board with Operation Trinity?"

"Only if you promise to never refer to it as that again."

"Agreed." Edward stood up and stripped into his underwear before disappearing into the bathroom. "I hope she doesn't mind us going at it in the room next to her." He called out. "Because that would be unfortunate and could set Operat-" he stopped, "my plans back a little."

"And who said that we were having sex tonight?" Jonathan asked slyly as he pulled his own shirt off.

Edward stuck his head out the bathroom to glance at Jonathans' crotch and the obvious bulge there. "Well, your body certainly seems to think so."

"Touche. I am also incredibly impatient so hurry up and finish staring at yourself in the mirror. Honestly Edward, your vanity is absolutely outstanding. Hurry up."

The sound of running water was cut off. "Yes Sir!" Edward shouted out playfully as he sprinted out of the bathroom and threw himself on the large double bed.

"Idiot." Jonathan growled while a fond smile played at the corner of his mouth. "I'll miss you after you've been assassinated and i've escaped to a desert island to continue my research."

"Thank you for that vote of confidence." Edward rolled his eyes as he pulled Jon back down onto the bed beside him.


	7. Let's Not Discuss Who Needs Who

Edward vaguely wondered what the Bat would do if he was aware of the meeting which was currently taking place directly under his nose in his own city. The first official meeting of the rogues who had decided to band against Ras Al Ghul had been organised for tonight and they had agreed to meet in this abandoned office building. It was a good neutral ground which everyone had accepted as a suitable place for meeting since it had lain empty for the last two years after being targeted by Firefly and the upper levels had sustained levels of fire damage serious enough for the entire building to be condemned.

To his immediate left, Jonathan was standing patiently as he waited for the meeting to begin while Ivy, Harley and Selina stood on his left. The five of them stood directly in front of a small collection of their fellow rogues; Dent, Freeze, Sionis, Maxie Zeus, Killer Croc and Calender Man stood dotted around the relatively small room as they waited for the meeting to begin. Jervis was also supposed to be present but he cancelled at the last moment. The main reason behind this meeting was to give the rogues a chance to discover exactly whom they would be working and fighting with for the foreseeable future and also to see what possible ideas each person could offer. Edward was hopeful.

"I am certain that you all know why we are here." He began dramatically and he heard Jon make a small scathing noise in his throat but choose to ignore it. "Ras Al Ghul, the Demons' Head and illustrious leader of the League of Assassins has declared war on us and our kind. The reason for this, and I think you all already know, is due to the death of his daughter at the hands of one of our own." Edward paused as each of the rogues nodded to let him know that they were aware of the situation. "If you are here then you have chosen to ally yourselves to your fellow rogues and, as clichéd as it sounds, united we will stand and divided we will fall."

"We have gathered," Jonathan continued, "you all in this building to discuss our plans and attempt to reach a solution which will allow us to deal with the League and survive. The League is compromised of highly skilled assassins who have also developed techniques which make them resistant to traditional forms of chemical influence. As of this moment in time, we do not think that the League is aware of our planned resistance. It is my belief that they would think us too," he smirked and paused, "damaged to work together cohesively."

"Are they wrong?" A gravelly, animalistic voice asked loudly. "Do you think we can all work together without killin' or eatin' each other?"

"For the latter of those two things, the only person I would be concerned about is you Waylon. The rest of us don't really have a taste for human flesh." Edward said lazily while Croc flashed his rows of sharp teeth as he grinned. "But yes I believe that since we are all under threat we should be able to see past our differences and work together as a shaky team."

"I will call down the wrath of the gods to destroy our enemies! You simple people will not be needed for any war." Maxie Zeus yelled pompously and Edward raised an eyebrow at him. He was unsure who had invited Maxie Zeus but he supposed that the team could always use some extra cannon fodder. It wasn't that he hated Zeus but he just did not care for him at all. Mild dislike at best. Each of the other rogues had at least one small feature which interested Edward but the faux-god just annoyed him, he seemed to be the only one who possessed an ego which was bigger than Edwards' own.

Edward bit his tongue a little as he held back a more vicious reply. "Yes Zeus! That would be marvellous. True to tradition, why don't you turn into a swan or a white bull and go attempt to seduce your way to our victory. I have my doubts that Ras will accept your advances but at this point I am willing to try anything. A shower of gold might be a better option though." A few of the rogues laughed at his comment and Zeus glared hatefully at Edward as he realised that he was being mocked.

Attempting to save face, Zeus continued. "We all know that the Joker is the man responsible for our plight. If Al Ghul seeks out Joker then we should offer his notorious companion as a sacrifice and then perhaps he will call off his killer dogs." He pointed at Harley. "Why should we fight when she will settle the debt. I will seize her and deliver her to this Demon personally. I do not fear him. By my right as a god I demand that you all do as I say." He strode towards Harley and went to grab her arm.

Frowning deeply as Zeus made his small speech, Edward decided that he would not allow a third-rate hack like Zeus to even attempt to make a move on Harley. She deserved better than that. As Zeus marched towards her, Edward swiftly attempted to intervene and defend Harley from the delusional man but was surprised to see that Jon had reacted slightly quicker and had snatched Zeus' hand before he had been able to even lay a finger on Harleys' wrist. Clutching Zeus' hand harshly, Jon was now using his impressive height to tower over him in what Edward could appreciate was a deliciously intimidating manner.

"How dare you mortal! You choose a mere clown over a god?" Zeus boomed.

"There are no gods here." Jon laughed darkly. "Just us criminals and a man with severe delusions and a serious decision to make."

"Oho! A decision eh? You dare challenge me?" Zeus snorted. "And what would this decision be?"

"Either you can walk back to your place with your unrestrained ego only slightly dented or I can put this," Jon pulled a needle from his belt with his free hand and waved it threateningly, "into your system and we will all enjoy watching you scream like a frightened child. Either way you will not be laying a finger on Miss Quinzel. Ras Al Ghul has made his lack of interest in her very clear and even if he had not, she is still worth more than you to many of us here." He paused as he allowed the other rogues to hear his words before turning back to Zeus. "Would you like us all to find out what terrors keep a self-proclaimed god awake at night?"

The entire group had gone silent as they watched Jon face off with the false god, who was now showing real signs of uncertainty as the seconds passed and no one made an attempt to offer their support to him. Eventually reaching a conclusion, Zeus opened his mouth to respond but was instantly silenced as he was knocked off his feet by a large green vine which had slid up unnoticed behind him. Groaning on the ground he attempted to stand up but was forced back down by a green boot which struck him in the chest and knocked him flat on his back again.

Her face full of rage, Ivy bent down and placed one hand around his throat and gave it a small squeeze in warning. "I am not as merciful as the Scarecrow." She hissed as she dug her sharp nails in. "Do not attempt to place your hands on her again or you will lose them." She let go on his neck and sauntered to Harleys' side, placing one of her arms gently around her waist in a obvious show of possession. Realising that they were no longer needed both Jon and Edward walked back to their original positions at the head of the room. Glancing at Ivy again, Jon received a nod in thanks from her and then an odd look came across her face as her thoughts were clearly taken up by something else.

Still spluttering on the ground, Zeus finally stood himself up and his face was a mix of anger and embarrassment. His eyes darted around the collection of rogues as they continued to watch the small scene unfold with various expressions of boredom and mild annoyance. Finally coming to the conclusion that no one else was willing to support him in his cause his face darkened and he snapped his mouth shut as he stormed to the back of the assembled group.

An small silence descended as each of the rogues waited for another to speak. "We should hire an assassin." Freeze offered evenly as he tried to move things past the awkward stage they were currently at. "If we are to be hunted like animals then I suggest that we hire a hunter of our own. We are all killers here but not one of us are professionals at it."

"Speak for yourself..." Jon muttered under his breath and Edward held back a smile as he recalled the tales Jon had shared with him of his early years as a criminal. Continuing in a much louder voice, Jon asked, "Does anyone have any suggestions as to who we possible bring into our services?"

"Deathstroke?" Croc growled out. "He's the best of 'em. Not much he can't do."

"Croc is right," Selina nodded, "Deathstroke would be a great addition to our fight. But..." She trailed off and Edward picked up on her train of through

Edward shook his head. "He is too closely affiliated with the League to be completely trusted. He has worked for them on several occasions as both an employee and also, I believe, as an instructor, and I do not feel that I could depend on his loyalty in this situation."

"What about Floyd Lawton?" Came Black Masks' obnoxious voice from the back of the room. "I've worked with Deadshot before and he is an efficient bastard."

"Lawton could work." Dent chipped in. "I hired him once to take care of an old business partner of mine and he made him money within a day. I agree with Sionis."

"Deadshot is possible." Edward mused as he slid a finger around the rim of his green bowler hat. "I will discuss it with Penguin and see if he can organise a meeting with him and find out his price. A true assassin on our side could be a real benefit to us." He placed the hat back on his head and faced the entire crowd. "I have also decided that we will reach out to Professor Pyg for help. He might be completely insane but he does have a disposable army which we could utilise. Does anyone have any objections?"

"Do we need to speak to him?" Ivy asked bitchily.

"Probably not. Even if you did I do not imagine he would respond too well."

"Then I have no objections." She concluded before murmuring under her breath, "And i'd quite like to know how he survived my poison in the asylum."

Leaning close into her Ivy, Harley replied. "Don't cha worry Pam. He's always loopy on his needles and I don't think ya poisons could do much more harm to him." Pam smiled at the encouragement and tightened her grip on Harleys' waist.

"Anyway." Edward said pointedly. "Back to the army of assassins-sized problem at hand..."

x-x-x-x-x

They had been chatting amongst themselves politely for the last while since they did not tend to meet in groups this large very often and many of them actually quite enjoyed getting a small catch-up with the other criminals whom they did not commonly cross paths with. Unfortunately, Edward was forced to admit, it also meant that rogues who did not get on were also put in close contact.

"SELINA!" Edward bellowed as he watched Selina attempt to launch herself at Black Mask who was smirking viciously. She would have reached him but Dent intervened at the last second and pulled her away as she continued to swipe dangerously at her intended victim.

"Let me go Harvey! I'm gonna peel that mask of his face with my damn claws." She screeched. "I'm going to hurt him. Let me GO!"

"What is going on?" Ivy asked dangerously as she entered into the fray.

"I only asked her how her sister was." Black Mask continued to smirk. "She reacted poorly." Ivy narrowed her eyes and Edward could see small vines beginning to creep through the floorboard behind Black Mask and knew that this would not end well.

"Sionis. Leave. Now." Edward spat out through clenched teeth. "These women will kill you and unfortunately you have some valuable assets which we could use."

"Yeah. Don't forget that you NEED me." His smirk turned into a sneer and Edward felt his temper instantly flare. "You all need me. I have power you all desperately crave."

Pointing his cane threateningly at Sionis, Edward spoke calmly but there was a hard edge to his words. "That is where you are WRONG Sionis. We do not need you. Your participation would be useful but do not mistake yourself as being indispensable. You will be annihilated by the League if you stand alone but with us you may stand a chance. So let us not discuss who needs who because it will turn ugly. You NEED us."

Black Mask glared at Edward for a moment before considering his words. As he opened his mouth to respond, Jon cut him off. "Just leave Black Mask. We will inform you of our next meeting and it may be wise for you to consider bringing your assistant. Your volatile personality will get you into trouble here." Snorting, Sionis turned and strutted out the exit door while making a deliberate point to ignore each of the other rogues as he passed.

"Selina dear, could I have a quiet word?" Jon said sweetly, but his mind was a swarm of anger as he did not appreciate the blatant disrespect that Black Mask had shown not only Edward but all of them. That could not be allowed. Selina stopped struggling long enough to allow Jon to whisper something in her ear and her eyes lit up with utter malice as she nodded at whatever he had proposed. Edward eyed the pair with mild curiosity but decided to wait until later to find out the details.

"I would like to cut this meeting short now." Edward announced, deciding to move on from Black Mask and his attitude. He called attention to himself again. "We will meet here in one week exactly, same time as today. By then I want you all to have an accurate figure in your head as to how many henchmen or how many weapons you can bring to the table for us to use."

"What'll you be doin' in the meantime Mistah E?" Harley asked.

"I suppose Jon and I had better make some form of arrangement with Pyg unless one of you volunteer?" Silence met his question. "As I suspected." He sighed. "Oh well, it was worth a try."

"What do you mean you and I will be making arrangements?" Jon inquired suddenly as Edwards' words sank in. "I do not remember agreeing. When did I sign up for that?"

"Jon, I do not even charge you rent to live in our apartment. Do you know how expensive apartments are in our area since we live in one of the least dangerous parts of Gotham? Trust me, this is the least you can do."


	8. I Will Pass That Message Along

"Jon. There is only one fair way to decide who has to do this. It's either this or we set up a Gladiator-style arena in my living room and the last man standing gets to avoid the duty. Are you ready to go?" Edward explained patiently as he lay in bed and watched the large lump beside him avoid his questions.

From beneath the covers a large, thin hand slowly emerged and stuck its middle finger up at him. "Leave me alone Edward. I refuse to take part in any discussion of this. It is your responsibility." Came a muffled voice from the centre of the lump.

"It is the fairest method of determining our outcome." Edward sighed as Jons' head also slowly poked out from under the sheets. "Are you ready?" Jon nodded. "One. Two. Three." On three Edward threw his hand out flat while Jon scrunched his up into a tight ball. "Sorry straw man, but paper beats scissors. You are responsible for attending the meeting with Pyg later and bringing him to 'Team Rogues'."

Scowling in rage, Jon threw the remainder of the covers from his body as he leapt out of the bed and leaned in close to Edwards' face. "Best two out of three?" He asked, his voice threatening and only a little hopeful.

"No. We agreed to the terms before the game. You lost." Edward shrugged, smirking in victory.

"Cheater." Jon spat, taking a little satisfaction at how a dark shadow crossed Edwards' face at the term. He knew that Edward had a particulardistaste for that specific accusation but his brief joy was hollow as Edwards' face turned back to its previous smirk.

"Do not try to provoke a fight. You will still be attending this meeting." He paused. "Plus I feel you are more apt at dealing with Pyg and his particular psychosis."

Jon feigned shock. "Surely you are not implying that someone else might actually be superior to you in a certain task? Are you ill?"

"What I mean Jon," he replied, putting emphasis on his name, "is that if Pyg makes the sudden decision to create one of his doll creatures then you are more likely to be able to, umm, survive that encounter."

Nodding his head in agreement, Jon smiled. "That is true. Your fighting style leaves much to be desired."

"This coming from Mr 'Violent Dancing'," Edward quipped, "but seriously, you should probably get going." He glanced at his watch. "And please try to get Pyg on board, he could actually be useful in this fight."

x-x-x-x-x

As far as hidden lairs went, the old doll factory which Pyg was currently using to perform his grotesque experiments was particularly unsettling and Jon could understand how a lessor man would find it terrifying. Small doll heads with hollowed out eyes were hanging everywhere and Jon swore that he could see blood trickling out from underneath one of the suspiciously human-sized mannequins which decorated the walls.

He had only been speaking with Pyg for around five minutes and he was already desperate to get things organised as soon as possible and get home. Preferably, for a shower or multiple showers. Whatever it would take to get the stench of Pyg and his abattoir from his system. "So will you help us in our fight against Ras Al Ghul?" He had explained the entire situation to the clearly unhinged man and he was still waiting for an actual coherent response.

"Like little lambs to the slaughter." Pyg giggled before scrunching his nose up and bleating like a distressed sheep. "One for the master, and one for the dame, and one for the perfect Pyg who lives down the lane."

"Ras Al Ghul will kill you Pyg. And your Dollatrons." Jon paused while he considered his argument. "And your wire mother. Ras Al Ghul thinks you are all ugly and he will kill you for it."

"PYG IS NOT UGLY!" Came the sudden shriek. "PYG IS PERFECT! PYG AND HIS BEAUTIFUL BABIES COULD EASILY DESTROY THE LIAR. LIAR!"

Finally, Pyg had reacted to something. "So will you help us fight him?"

"Might. Might not. Pyg is too busy with surgery and making his babies perfect to get his trotters dirty." Pyg held his filthy hands up and sniffed them lavishly.

"You do not need to actually attend any meetings or fight in the battle. If you provide us with the use of some of your," Jon paused, "babies, then we could win this fight and stop Ras from killing you after he has finished will us all." Jon honestly did not care for whatever fate had in store for Pyg but he really did need those Dollatrons, their inability to feel pain would be a great benefit on the battlefield.

Grabbing a syringe from the floor, Pyg jammed it straight into his forearm and released whatever drugs were inside it into his system. "Ahh yes. Good. I can see that you are jealous of my body but you have been polite so Pyg will help. You can use his darling babies to smush your little problem. Just make sure and bring them home to daddy."

"Thank you." Jon grimaced.

Sliding up so that he could stand directly in front of Jon, Pyg squealed out. "Pyg also has a special treat for the Scarecrow." He stroked his fingers down Jons' arm and it took every ounce of Jons' self-control to not force the hand away. "A delicious morsel which Pyg will give him because Pyg likes what he can do with his drugs."

"And what are you giving me?" Jon asked evenly as he continued to resist the urge to flinch away.

"Surprise! It's a surprise. A delicious surprise." Pyg slobbered. "He eats and eats and eats and kills. Kills to eat. But now you need to LEAVE!"

Turning without another word, Jonathan walked towards the exit. He could faintly hear Pyg spewing some nonsense about disco music and amphetamines and he sighed in relief as the large metal door swung shut behind him and he was safely outside in the darkened streets again. Walking down the alley he swore that he heard someone around him. "Hello?" He asked in a confident tone as he gently wrapped his fingers around his canister of toxin. He was in no mood to be confronted by any regular criminals or brave civilians tonight. His attention was captured again by a vague swishing noise and he instinctively turned towards it. The attempted turn was interrupted by a sudden burst of pain in his temple which blackened his vision as his entire body went limp and he hit the ground hard.

x-x-x-x-x

An unnatural screeching noise caused Jonathan to jerk from his unconscious state. Opening his eyes, it took him a few moments to adjust to his surroundings as the room which he was currently lying in was very dimly lit. Tracking the source of the noise he spotted an assassin sitting across from his left sharpening a large blade on a wheel. As he glanced around the area he saw several other assassins dotted around, some in plain sight and others half-hidden in shadows. His eyes were eventually drawn to the figure which sat atop an ostentatious-looking throne which was bolted to the centre of a small platform.

"Ras Al Ghul I presume?" Jon asked, his voice completely devoid of any emotion even as a small spark of panic blossomed in his gut. Using his strength, he pushed himself off the floor and stood as confidently as he could as he faced off against the man who had a death wish against him.

The man on the throne was silent as his dark, intelligent eyes took in Jons' movements and stature. His olive skin had a odd quality to it which made it look faintly like old parchment even though it was on a relatively-youthful face. "Correct. I am Ras Al Ghul, the Demons Head and leader of the League of Assassins. You are Dr Jonathan Crane, alias Scarecrow, a reknowned chemist, psychologist and criminal." Ras replied, his deep and rough voice carrying across the room without any effort.

"You know me." Jon nodded.

"I know many things. Such as the fact that you and several of your colleagues have been responsible for gathering as much of your rogues together as you can in the hopes of making some foolish attempt at taking on my League. I have brought you here to discuss this issue. Let us call it a quick meeting."

Stiffening imperceptibly, Jon asked. "And how exactly have you come to be aware of these alleged plans?"

"You have been betrayed by one of your number. A coward who came to me offering information about your gathering forces in exchange for immunity. He was insistent but left disappointed. As you can imagine, I have no need for such levels of deception. I find it...distasteful."

Jon was furious. A traitor in his own nest. "And would you care to name this traitor?"

"That I will not. If you are as intelligent as you claim then you should be able to correctly ascertain who the culprit is. What you choose to do with them is entirely your own business. I believe in punishing those who have earned it and it will give you a task to complete before you are all slaughtered like animals."

Jon smirked. "We shall see about that."

"You, however, need not die like an animal." Ras called out suddenly and Jon raised an eyebrow in question. "I have examined your history and the crafting of your specialised fear toxin." He apused and waited for Jon to nod in confirmation. "The production of that specific toxin is chemically impressive and takes a great deal of skill. Because of this I am willing to make a place for you inside my organisation in order to further hone your abilities." Ras held out a hand invitingly. "This is an exceptionally rare offer which I do not usually allow those who have displeased me. Will you join me?"

Jon could not hide his surprise, he certainly had not seen that offer coming. Taking a few seconds to gather his thoughts he answered. "You have implied that my survival is totally dependent on whether or not I join you. Am I to guess that this courtesy will not be extended to any of the others?" Jon asked, certain that he already knew the answer.

"My offer of protection is based on my assessment that I could have some considerable uses for your talents in chemistry and possible applications of your toxin. These skills are lacked by your companions and therefore I have no need of them." Ras explained again. "But satiate my curiosity, which of your companions did you have in mind to survive the purge?"

"I had no specific individuals in mind. But I do have future plans made with several of them which is entirely dependent on their survival."

"Such as?"

"Edward Nygma, for one." Jon replied in a completely even tone. "We have business plans which would leave me out of pocket if he were dead."

"Ahh yes." Ras nodded. "I had heard rumours which suggested that the two of you were having some form of relations. So you confirm it?"

"I confirm nothing. As I said, I have business with him which his death will make impossible."

Ras continued to nod but Jon suspected that his answer had been totally disregarded. "I am afraid I must disappoint you." Ras said, false regret colouring his tone. "Nygma must be punished for the disrespect he personally afforded me when he took something which he was not entitled to."

"The lazarus pit." Jon answered.

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Ras continued. "So he has informed you of our history? I must admit that is unexpected. I had assumed that it was a tightly held secret of his."

"You assume wrong."

"I gather that." He frowned. "So am I to assume that my offer of protection from the oncoming death is to be rejected then?"

"You assume correctly."

"How unfortunate." Ras spread his hands and the two assassins to his side stiffened in anticipation. "You are lucky, however, that I am willing to allow you to leave this place alive tonight. Provided you send a message to your not-so-secretly gathering rogues for me?" Jon again was struck by anger at the thought that they definitely had a traitor in their midst. He continued to listen to Ras. "Let them know that if they insist on attempting to resist their fate then I will ensure that it is drawn-out and painful. Tell them to disband and accept the inevitable."

"I will pass that message along." Jon nodded. "But I do not anticipate that it will have any influence on them."

Ras smirked. "Neither do I." Taking the opportunity while he had it, Jon turned on his heel and was slowly escorted to the exit door by one of the hidden assassins who had now made herself visible. This meeting had thrown up a few interesting points which he was eager to discuss with Edward and then they also now had the small issue of which of the rogues had been foolish and cowardly enough to sell out their own kind.

x-x-x-x-x

"So Ras Al Ghul knows everything?" Edward asked evenly but Jon could see the utter rage which was simmering just below his calm exterior. "All of this planning and sneaking about has been for absolutely nothing?"

Jon sighed. "Yes." Roaring in rage, Edward started towards the door but Jonathan had predicted this response and pulled on his arm hard enough to force him to sit back down on the large couch. "And where exactly are you planning on going?"

"I'm going to go hunt down every single one of our friends, interrogate them and then rip the traitors heart out." Edward hissed. "The Aztec people may have been onto something with that practise and I would find it very cathartic at the moment."

"I would suggest that you relax for the moment. I have already sent out a message to them all calling for an emergency meeting tomorrow night. I alluded to the fact that new information has been discovered so they should all attend." In a vague attempt to calm Edward down, he started to faintly write out chemical equation on his hand in the hope that the gentle gesture would instil some peace in his raging partner. A hot-headed Edward could be dangerous in the current climate.

Edward deflated slightly at the soft actions and asked. "Do we have any suspects?"

"Ras mentioned that the traitor in question was male, which does not really limit us, but I suspect that we both know which of the rogues are most likely to betray us."

"Calender Man, Maxie Zeus and Black Mask are all on my list at the moment." Edward confessed and Jon nodded in agreement. "I will request Ivys' help in helping us to determine which of the three will not be attending any future meetings."

"That will bring some amount of joy to her. Ivy does love using her powers to humiliate those who have annoyed her in some way."

"Ivy can use her powers to her hearts content, but it will by I who deals with the traitor."

Jon raised a slight eyebrow at the obvious challenge in Edwards' voice. "I have no problem with you dealing with our little problem. You really should let your aggression out more often, it is not healthy to keep it all bottled up."

"Thank you, Dr Freud."

"Dr Freud was an old hack. I think I deserve a little better than that." Jon pouted slightly.


	9. I'm Always Full Of Questions!

As much as it pained him to admit, the rogues really were creatures of habit. This was their second meeting in as many weeks and each person had chosen to adopt the exact same area of space which they had for the first meeting. Even the latest addition to the mix had apparently had the foresight to allow the others to take their space before choosing one for himself. As promised, Pyg had sent a gift for the group, or more specifically Jon, to use in their fight and the services of Eduardo Flamingo were quite the gift. Edward had never had any dealings with the man himself but he had heard rumours of the self-proclaimed 'Eater of Faces' and the mans' success as an assassin did precede him. Still, Edward found him a little unsettling, not that he would admit that to anyone else.

However, there was one interesting change to the overall group. Instead of taking his previous position near the front of the group, Maxie Zeus was now almost hidden in the shadows around the back of the room and Edward and Jon shared a loaded glance at this unusual behaviour. Zeus's delusions had a tendency to make him crave constant attention and yet he was now suddenly content to hang back and let the others take charge? It was then that Jon knew. His usually infallible intuition told him that Maxie Zeus was the traitor amongst them.

Casually strolling towards the side of the room, Jon sought out the specific rogue he was looking for. "Ivy. A word please?" He asked quietly as he approached her.

Raising a perfectly-shaped eyebrow, she replied suspiciously. "Of course." Excusing herself from Harley she followed Jon to a quieter area of the office space before leaning against an abandoned table. She red hair swayed around her as she made herself comfortable. "What would you like to say?"

"We have a traitor."

Pure surprise shone on her face for a moment before she schooled her features back into their usual haughty position. "And you know this how? Who would dare?" Bristling dangerously, she leaned closer towards Jon and he could clearly see the tension which was now present in her body language.

"Ras Al Ghul told me." Ivy opened her mouth but Jon cut her off before she could speak. "It's a long story. And to answer your second question, I have reason to believe that it is Maxie Zeus but that it where I require your assistance. Did you bring what I asked?" Ivy's eyes had narrowed at the mention of the faux-god, the memories of his near attack on Harley still clearly fresh in her mind.

"I have it." She pulled out a small vial of clear liquid from her costume. "What do you need me to do with it?"

"I need you to infect him with it. Are you certain that the chemical composition will work as a truth serum?"

"Yes. I have used it numerous times. All successfully." She confirmed with a nod of her head." I will coat my glove with it and touch his bare forearm. It will take just under a minute to take effect, instead of the usual ten minutes, due a few new compositions which I have added in."

"Excellent. If, for some reason, it does not turn out to be Maxie Zeus then I think we may have a problem." Jon held out a hand to her and she used it to pull herself gracefully from the table. "That said, I am almost certain that we have the right man." Walking swiftly back into the main room, Ivy and Jon immediately took their previous positions next to Harley and Edward respectively. As she was passing Zeus, Ivy deliberately walked close enough to justify putting her small hand on his hulking forearm as she moved him out of the way slightly to let her through the crowd.

"Is it done?" Edward whispered softly through the side of his mouth.

Mimicking Edwards' movements, Jon replied, "Yes. Give it a full minute to ensure that it has definitely had to time to work and then we shall see what he has to say."

Clearing his throat poignantly, Edward drew attention to himself. "I would like," he announced loudly, "to start this meeting by asking Maxie Zeus why he attempted to betray us to Ras Al Ghul by offering information about both ourselves and our plans in exchange for his own personal safety. An action which has not only placed all of us in greater danger and also led to Ras now being fully aware of our preparations to fight against him."

"Subtle start Edward." Jon sighed quietly. "Very subtle."

At the accusation, the room was filled with a sudden buzzing of anger and anticipation and this new hive of activity turned to face the man who was being charged with these accusations. At the back of the room, Zeus's face was a mixture of shock and mild fear as he was suddenly put in the spotlight. His face transformed from sheet white to a stunning shade of red as he swelled up in anger. "MORTAL! You dare accuse me of being unfaithful to our cause?" His fists clenched and unclenched as he glared daggers at Edward.

"I dare," Edward replied as he strode towards Zeus confidently, the crowd parting to allow him easier access to the accused, "because I know it to be true. Did you sell us out to Ras Al Ghul?"

Zeus screwed up his face and whatever rude retort or denial he had planned was cut short by the loud "YES!" which burst from his mouth. Looking betrayed, he screeched. "What have you done to me?!"

"We may not see eye-to-eye on many things but Poison Ivy does do some incredible work with truth serums." Edward smirked viciously as Ivy flipped her hair back a little at the compliment.

Zeus's face continued to change colour as he attempted to think of ways to deny the charges but perhaps realising that he had been completely found out, the previous fear which he had hidden from his face now came back as he was faced with a room full of very angry and very dangerous people. "I imagine you all have some questions." He said weakly. "I will answer what you ask."

"You know me Maxie. I'm always full of questions." Moving faster than anyone could anticipate, Edward withdrew a small, sharp knife from the inside of his jacket and made a quick slashing motion. He faintly heard one or two of the rogues gasp in surprise at the action but his attention was focused solely on the man before him. "But your cowardly actions require no explanations that I have any interest in."

Dropping to his knees instantly, Zeus's hands flew up to his neck in a futile attempt to stem the sudden flow of blood from his sliced arteries. His hands could only hold so much and the red liquid soon started to drip through his clenched fingers and the slow splashing of it on the hard concrete was the only noise in the now completely silent room. It took a few more seconds for Zeus to slide fully to the ground and Edward and Jon watched passively as the light finally left his eyes and his fingers went limp.

"Waylon?" Edward asked quietly, his voice carrying through the noiseless room. The faint padding of Croc's feet could be faintly detected on the cold concrete as he was summoned forward, walking until he was standing directly beside Edward. "I need you to deal with the body." Edward continued.

"What'd ya want me to do?" Waylon eyed up the fresh body with mild but obvious interest.

"I want you to use whichever means you deems necessary to tear it to shreds." Never breaking his eye contact with the body, he continued. "And I want those pieces to decorate Gotham bridge, preferably in a very public space. By midnight tonight at the very latest."

Grinning viciously, Croc growled. "Tasty. I'll get right on that." A few of the rogues grimaced slightly, it really didn't take a lot of convincing to talk Croc into ripping up a body.

"Don't ya...uhh...think that's a bit much Mistah E?" Harley asked as she glanced at the body. "Why ya gonna bother makin' an effort when he's already dead?"

"It's about sending a message Harley." Jon answered for Edward. "Ras Al Ghul gave us this information as a test to see what we would do. And we must show him the extent of our mercy and willingness to forgive betrayal."

"It is not up for debate," Edward spoke firmly, "Zeus betrayed us and he will be made an example of. Should any of you feel the sudden urge to act in a similar way then your life will also be forfeit." A sudden breakout of murmuring wound its way across the room as the assembled rogues faintly agreed with the open threat. "Those of you who have remained until this point clearly have some form of loyalty to either your fellow villains, this city or yourselves but I will make one final offer. If you have any doubts as to our strength then you are not welcome among us. You may leave now but be warned," Edward tightened his grip on the small blade, "you will no longer be welcome in the city and if you dare to return you will be hunted down." Finishing his piece, he was not surprised to see that no one had moved an inch. He suspected that was more due to their own pride than his threats but he would take what he could get.

"An honourable speech." Black Mask grinned. "But what exactly are we gonna do now tha-"

Whatever Black Mask had planned to ask was cut off by a shattering noise as small shards of glass started to fall onto the assembled gang. Their surprised questioning was short-lived as three assassins dropped in from the smashed section of the glass roof and landed in the centre of the room, their distinctive red and navy markings instantly putting everyone on high-alert.

"Do you come with a message?" Jon asked as he tightened his grip on his scythe. He could see the other rogues tensing as they waited for an answer and to his right he saw Edward subtly pushing adjusting the small pistol which he kept on his person at all times.

The lead assassin answered the polite question evenly. "We have been sent to test your abilities in battle. If you fail to kill us then you will all be slaughtered."

"Okay then." Jon shrugged as the room descended into utter chaos.

One of the assassins immediately came his way and Jon vaguely wondered if she was present at his meeting with Ras as he swung his scythe towards her. Ducking expertly, she avoided the whizzing blade and delivered a punch straight to his jaw which landed as intended. Completely stunned, he started to swing his scythe madly as he attempted to put some space between them and his smirked slightly as he heard her gasp. Focusing on her he was disappointed to see that he had failed to actually harm her and her gasp was a result of Edward, who had used his entire body to knock her off kilter and stop her advance towards Jon.

Turning to Edward, who had now pulled out his gun, the assassin quickly kicked the weapon from his hand and it skidded away across the concrete towards Jon. Panic obvious in his eyes, Edward made a decent attempt to stand but a swift kick to the face sent him hurtling towards the ground. Grimacing as Edward smacked the floor harshly, Jon was confronted by the assassin again. He heard a faint cry of pain from behind him and he hoped that it wasn't one of his. Moving faster than Jon could comprehend, the assassin dropped to the ground and swept Jon's feet from under him.

Hitting the ground as hard as Edward had, Jon was too winded to move as the assassin approached him with an almost bored look in her eyes. Just as she was about to plunge her sword into Jons' heart she stumbled backwards as a large green vine gripped her foot and threw her off balance. Using her momentary surprise to his advantage, Jon picked up Edwards' dropped pistol, which lay a few inches away from his body, and shot her square in the head. The small shot was not heard over the cacophony of noise which the rest of the room was making and Jon wasn't able to take any pleasure in the kill as he slowly helped Edward to his feet and turned to watch the other rouges in battle.

As they observed the room, they could see that only one assassin was remaining. Half of the body of the other vanquished assassin was partially visible on the floor and Jon scrunched his nose up in distaste as he noticed that the other half was currently being chewed on by a victorious looking Croc, whose only apparent damage was a small cut on his upper arm. Various bodies were strewn across the ground, among them Jon could easily see Jervis and Zsasz, and he was relieved to see that they were all breathing. Those rogues who were not currently in battle were watching the last assassin with rapt attention.

The final assassin was squaring off against a combination of Two-Face and Black Mask and the duo were not having much success in hitting her with any of their bullets. As Dent stopped to reload, there was a sudden flurry of movement from above the distracted assassin as Harley and Selina dropped from the rafters. Immediately launching herself at the assassin, Harley was kicked away with practised finesse and she collided with Black Mask, sending the pair of them to floor in a heap of limbs. Selina, using her training, was doing much better and she was able to hold back the assassins attacks with quite a lot of effort. Sensing an opening, she struck the assassin in the stomach with her fist but her hand was caught and she was forced to her knees while her assailants hands appeared on either side of her neck.

Realising the danger that she was now in, Selina started to struggle but the hands around her neck were too tight. Before she could make a plan of escape she heard a loud bang in her right ear and the hands instantly disappeared as something wet hit the side of her face. The assassins body thumped to the side of her, the small entry wound of a bullet bleeding profusely from her temple, and Selina used her gloves to wipe away the blood which had splashed onto her cheek with a faintly disgusted expression.

A strong hand grabbed at her arm, pulled her upright and she came face to face with her apparent saviour. "Does that count as one of your nine lives?" Two-Face asked with an obvious smirk.

"I'll let you know once i've worked it out." She smiled gratefully. "Thanks Harv. Does this mean I am forgiven for that Arkham City incident?"

He frowned slightly in response, "Don't push your luck kitty." She wrapped herself around his body to place a small kiss on his scarred side before she let go and stalked off towards her space at the front of the room.

"Can we get back to our meeting?" Edward called from his small pedestal and his voice was almost giddy with the left-over adrenaline and victory. He was insanely pleased with how successful his rogues had fought. "It has very recently come to my attention that we need new accommodation since this place is officially compromised. Do we have any suggestions?" He hesitated. "Those who are still unconscious are exempt from answering."

"I do." Selina answered instantly. "I've actually been meaning to bring this up with you for a while and now is the perfect opportunity. I have a place we can use for the time being." At Edwards' questioning gaze, she answered. "Our old home." She gestured to Ivy and Harley. "Y'know the one which Dr Aesop set up shop in after he framed us?" Her voice was strong as she stood before the rogues and made eye contact with each of them as they nodded to her suggestion.

"Sounds good to us." Ivy nodded her consent. "My greenhouse should still be flowering beautifully."

"Then we are settled." Jon announced to the room. "We expect your presence there two days from now at the latest. Anyone who does not show their face will be considered a traitor against us and will be dealt with in the appropriate fashion. Tonight we were faced with our first challenge and we rose to it adequately," he paused, "but our fight is nowhere near over. Take the next day to prepare to move in to our now stronghold." As Jon finished he was confronted with a pregnant silence which stretched out uncomfortably. "Does anyone have any objections?"

"Clean cup! Clean cup! CHANGE PLACES!" Jervis screeched at the new developments and his voice was still a little slurred due to his recent knockout. Edward audibly sighed in resignation as he faintly plotted out various ways in which he could survive living in one home with these people.


	10. The Debts Which Exist Between Us

"Do you think a gambling pool would be a good idea?" Edward asked as he lazily threw some more popcorn into his mouth before glancing to his side.

Placing his book down on his lap, Jonathan squinted at the surveillance feed to which Edward was referring. This security room had been designed by Edward himself when the Sirens had initially moved into this place and Edward had found it incredibly easy to upgrade the system to suit his new needs. Now the entire exterior of their new stronghold was under surveillance, as was any internal weak spots which could be used for possible entrance by any foreign entities. The feed which had caught Edwards' attention was the one which was focused on the fitness suite and was currently showing Selina and Harley having a casual spar. "I think we have enough to worry about without adding the threats of you having your legs broken because you owe some fool money." He answered wryly.

"Point taken." Edward smirked. "Who do you think will win?" He threw a small piece of popcorn at the screen.

"Tough call. Selina is highly-trained and more experienced but Harley has the element of surprise and a reckless abandonment when she fights. If I were a gambling man, I would probably say Selina." Jon concluded. "Is she still upset?"

Edward grimaced. The arrival of Hush to the stronghold had not gone down well with the master thief, especially when it turned out that he was there at the behest of Black Mask whom he apparently owed a favour. Edward himself was not happy with Elliott's presence but there was little he could do without inciting a riot since many of the rogues seemed pleased to have a medically trained professional amongst them. "She will get over it. I think?"

"We can only hope." Jon sighed as he went back to his book. He was silent for a good while before he spoke again. "I almost killed Man-Bat last night."

Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Edward chuckled. "And what did Dr. Langstrom do to deserve that?"

Jon let out a heavy sigh and answered without taking his eyes from his reading. "I travelled out to Ivys' greenhouse to borrow some chemicals and I was unaware that you had instructed him to patrol the grounds at night. So when I walked outside and he suddenly dove down from the roof, screeching at me like a demon, I made a failed attempted to shoot him. It was instinctual. Fortunately I completely missed and no damage was done."

"Did you get a fright Jon? Some 'Master Of Fear' you are..." Edward laughed, as he teased his partner.

"Would you like a quick session Edward? I can pencil you in right now. We haven't had one in so long." A note of longing entered Jons' voice as he fixed Edward with his piercing gaze. "I'm sure there are some corners of your mind that I haven't invaded yet."

"You know I am always happy for you to invade me at any time." Edward winked, slowly licking the end of his fingers, which were now covered in salt due to the popcorn, as he attempted to steer the conversation. "Interesting use of the word 'invaded' there Jon. It implies that your frequent attempts to understand my psyche have been non-consentual. I only allow you glimpses into my brilliant mind because I am a kind-hearted individual and I know that you have an odd fetish for that kind of thing."

"First of all, wash your hands before touching anything in this room. And secondly, fetish? Now that is an interesting choice of word, Edward. Would you like me to discuss some of your fetishes?"

"If I had to make a list of things I wish I had never heard, that last sentence is definitely near the top, Crane." A feminine voice exclaimed from behind the pair, causing Edward to flinch and spin around. Ivy had apparently entered the room silently while they were busy with their mild bickering and waited for the perfect opportunity to intervene.

Edward blanked his features. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough for me to want to vomit. The image of the two of you going at it is causing me to wilt." She threw her head back dramatically.

"Don't be a bitch, Ivy." Edward rolled his eyes. "If it makes you feel better, the thought of you and Harley going at it causes me to do the very opposite of wilting." He leered at her and hid a smirk as angry blotches appeared high on her cheeks.

"Did you have something to say to us Ivy?" Jon interceded, hoping to avoid a fight between the two in this tiny room.

"I actually have something I need to do and I need you both to help me." Ivy said casually, her attitude changing suddenly as she stroked one of the small vines which was wrapped around her waist and had slithered over her shoulder. There was something odd in her tone which caused Jon to pause as he tried to identify what was wrong. "Will you help me?" She continued. Jon and Edward shared a quick glance in surprise as they abandoned the security room to follow her to her private greenhouse.

"What exactly do you need help with?" Jon asked cautiously as they stood in the centre of the greenhouse. Ivy was not someone who asked for help easily and if she needed the both of them then it was most likely something very serious and given the current state of affairs, it probably did not bode well for any of them. Ivy smirked at the question and snapped her fingers which caused dozens of vines to spring into action and wrap themselves around both Jon and Edward, immobilising them completely. The action had been too quick for either man to react and they were now trapped. "Ivy?! What is this?"

"I just need you both to be still for a while and this seemed like the best idea." She answered as she moved to the small desk and pulled out two identical syringes. "Now stay quiet or i'll also be forced to gag you. In fact..." She stopped and gestured towards Edward who was just beginning to open his mouth and a small vine wound its way across his face, stopping the words before they could be spoken. "You are always incapable of keeping your mouth shut so i'll just not delay the inevitable."

"Traitor! What is this Ivy? Are you working for Ras Al Ghul?" Jon hissed in rage as he kept one eye on Edward while he struggling to free himself. "You've been playing us since the beginning."

"For Gods' sake Jonathan, there's no need to be so over-dramatic. I am not working for Ras Al Ghul and I will expect an apology from you both as soon as you awaken. I am uncomfortable with all the debts which exist between us and this will clear everything which has happened before this point."

"What the hell is your game Ivy?"

"Trust me. I think you both will like this game." Ivy purred as she stalked towards Edward, who grunted as Ivy plunged the needle directly into his neck. Edwards' eyes widened as he watched Jonathan bare his teeth in pure rage at the action and he guessed that Jonathan was not a huge fan of people injecting drugs into his system, well...anyone who wasn't Jon himself. But the rage he could see on Jonathans' face was short-lived however as Edward watched Ivy sink the needle into Jons' neck in an identical manner and deposit the full-amount.

"And that's that." Moving away from the pair, Ivy sat on the edge of her desk and addressed them both loudly. "In about a minute you are going to feel some serious pain which will mostly likely force you to pass out." She began to pick at her fingernails. "So I don't have time to explain exactly what has just happened but when you wake up I will explain everything. And you will both be apologising to me for the horrible thoughts I know you're aiming towards me right now."

"Did you poison us?" Jon asked slowly as he felt his entire body beginning to go slack as a result of the mystery drugs.

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Why would I do something stupid like that? We still have a war to wage here." Jonathan opened his mouth to ask another question when he heard Edward scream to his right. Turning quickly, he saw Edwards' body straining against the vines which held him in position as he yelled in pain but almost as soon as it had started, the screaming stopped. Edward had passed out. Jonathan felt his own body begin to heat up uncomfortably as it felt like something was burning him from the inside out. He grit his teeth as he avoided the urge to call out in pain but soon gave in as a sudden burst of fire erupted in his chest. As his vision faded to black the last thing Jonathan heard, aside form his own moans of pain, was a softly feminine voice he identified as Ivys' whispering, "And I think i've just evened our fighting odds a little."

X-X-X-X-X

Consciousness came back to Edward with a shock as something freezing cold and wet was thrown into his face. Spluttering in surprise, he struggled to adjust to his surroundings. He was somewhere uncomfortably warm with a distinct smell of flora and he was being held in place by something smooth. He waited until he was adjusted to the light before realising that he was being held in place by vines and his eyes narrowed in anger as he recalled where he was. "IVY!" He called out angrily.

"Yes darling?" Ivy smirked as she appeared with an empty bucket. "Jonathan and I felt that you were taking too long to wake up naturally and i've always wanted to throw water all over you. Seemed like a win-win situation."

"Where is Jon?" Edward hissed, eyes darting around the room as he attempted to locate his sadistic lover. "What did you do to him?"

"I am fine Edward." Jonathan said evenly as he came into view. "I am better than fine actually." Edward frowned at Jons' tone since he sounded...giddy? For lack of a better term.

Sighing as he realised that he was obviously out of the loop in this situation Edward decided to be forward. "So what exactly is going on? Because the last I remember is Ivy tying us up and injected us with some unidentified concoction."

"Ivy has explained to me what is happening but before I answer your question I want to ask you how you feel?"

"How I feel?!"

"Yes."

Edward paused as he considered the answer. He tried to feel out his body and was surprised to discover that he felt brilliant. Like truly brilliant. He felt as though he had just experienced a full-body energy increase which had left him rejuvenated and refreshed. "I feel incredible actually."

"Good. Can you let him down please?" Jonathan asked Ivy. She nodded in agreement and waved her hand, causing the vines to release him gently. As Edward hit the ground he started to walk towards the pair but hesitated when his feet felt odd beneath his body. "Do you feel it? The lightness?" Edwards' piercing stare landed on Jonathan and Jonathan knew that he was waiting for the explanation.

"Can you two hurry up? Oh my god. I don't have the time for this. I've already wasted an hour of my life waiting for you both to wake up. I'm leaving." Ivy huffed as she strutted past them and through the double doors which led back to the house.

"Jon?" Edward tried again.

"Do you remember when Maxie Zeus made an attempt to grab Harley with the intentions of offering her to Ras?"

"Of course."

"Well apparently Ivy was impressed with our instant response to the situation and found our protection and defense of Harley to be very...noble. Due to this and the fact that we have been so courteous, she had chosen to give us a gift to help us in our fight against Ras. You are aware that Ivy is the source of Harleys' greatly increased strength and agility?"

"Again, of course."

"Well she has injected us with a similar compound. Admittedly, it is a weaker strain and the effects will not be permanent but they should last for at least the next three weeks and take around two months to disappear completely."

Listening to what Jon was saying with wide eyes, Edward instantly walked over to the large desk which Ivy used for her research and placed two hands underneath it. The table, which Edward would have previously been highly unlikely to even budge, rose off the floor by a few inches with relative ease. Feeling a similar sense of giddiness, he ran back to Jon and launched himself at the taller man. Grunting in mild surprise, Jon threw his arms out to catch Edward and was surprised to find that he could support his weight without any effort. "As far as gifts go, I think Ivy has done rather well with this." Jon smirked as he placed Edward back on the ground.

Feeling completely elated and a little frisky, Edward moved until his body was pressed entirely against Jons' "What do you think we should do with these newfound abilities then?" He placed a hand gently on Jon's chest and pushed him against the glass door to the greenhouse.

"Well...i think I have a few ideas." Moving one hand behind himself, he grasped for the key and turned it so that he could lock the greenhouse door and keep out prying eyes. Mirroring Edwards movements, he put his hand on Edwards' chest and shoved. Falling to the ground in surprise, Edward opened his mouth to complain but shut it again instantly when Jon dropped down to straddle him. "How does this appeal?"

Using his fingers, he tore open Edwards' shirt which sent buttons flying across the greenhouse floor. "That was a designer shirt." Edward pouted. "You will be replacing that."

"Shut your mouth Edward." Came Jons' dead-pan reply before he smirked wickedly. "If you want to do something more productive with that mouth then I have an idea or two."

"Was that dirty talk I just heard? Wow. You must really be desperate for it."

"I'm on a high. I have not felt this good since I had to sample that ecstasy shipment I received in order to test if it would be compatible with my toxin or not."

Edward paused for a moment before pulling Jon down to lie on top of him fully. "After we're finished here," he whispered hoarsely, "I want you to tell me the rest of that story. It sounds scandalous."

Smiling into Edwards' collarbone, Jon answered. "We'll see."


	11. Not The Most Pleasant Sight

Gotham was quiet and that in itself was enough to put Bruce on the edge. A quiet Gotham was usually the prelude to something catastrophic and after the horror that was Arkham City, he was eager to avoid any new possible disaster from creeping up, especially now that he had Damian. He had barely allowed himself to grieve Talia when her guard had appeared in his manor with his biological son in tow and left him in his care. Damian Wayne, trained by his mother and the League of Assassins since birth to be the future leader of the world, plans which were cut short by Talias' unexpected death at the hands of Joker. But throughout the lat few years Damian had evolved past that. Turning from a lethal killer into a Robin, a title which he held with respect as he continued to make his new family proud.

Aside from Talia and her guard, Damian had very little interaction with the rest of the League, Ras included, and Bruce was privately thankful for that small boon. The loyalty of his son to himself and his new family was unquestionable. Especially when it came to Dick, who had bonded with his new younger brother in ways which Bruce could never have expected. Not only that but through Damian, Bruce had been able to express his grief over Talias' death and he suspected that the boy had used him for a similar purpose. Their time together had been relatively short but Bruce was willing to do all that he could to protect Damian from the true horrors of Gotham for as long as humanely possible.

As he reviewed the charts and graphs in front of him another time, Bruces' thoughts were refocussed on what they were telling him. He had hacked the GCPD database and downloaded the crime stats for Gotham over the last few weeks and there did not appear to be anything odd held within them. The murder stats were down slightly and robbery had dropped by 20%, although Bruce suspected this was due to Dicks' patrols with Damian as he continued to mentor the boy, while suicide and knife attacks had seen a slight increase. Nothing new there.

In terms of statistics, nothing was particularly untoward but there was something very noticeable which was missing from the crime reports of the last few weeks, and that was the actions of a certain group of crinimals, his 'rogues gallery' as they had been dubbed by the Gotham press. His most dangerous and deadly costumed villains had been disturbingly quiet for around the last month and that did not sit well with him.

It was not like they had disappeared totally, Tetch had been spotted in the Bowery in his favourite milliners allegedly picking up some new items for his collection and Freeze had recently stolen back some of his equipment which had been held inside the GCPD. But in terms of actual crimes, things were silent. No grand kidnappings, no hostage situations, even no foolish attempts to poison the water supply.

Adding in the mysterious circumstances surrounding both King Tut and Deacon Blackfyre's deaths and Bruce was convinced that something was happening in his city and his frustrations at being unable to discover what was taking its toll. He had been snappy towards Tim earlier and he regretted his attitude since Tim would not be back in Gotham for the next few weeks due to a personal project he was working with Barbara which required him to be out of town. So that left himself, Dick and Damian to deal with whatever was happening. A small ringing noise interrupted his thoughts and he answered his headset immediately. "Yes?"

"Bruce, it's Dick." Dicks' overly cheery voice chirped directly into his ear. "I'm up at Gotham Bridge the now after intercepting a police report and I think you need to come up here."

Bruce raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, it wasn't common for Dick to request his actual presence at a site. "What's the situation?"

"There's a body here and it's been torn to shreds, looks like the work of Killer Croc."

"And why do I need to be there?"

"Because the body belongs to Maxie Zeus, I'm looking at his decapitated head as we speak. By my count that makes three dead rogues in Gotham but this is the first with an obvious attacker. I'm forwarding the blood work to Barbara for analysis but I thought you might like to have a look."

Sighing too quietly for Dick to hear him, Bruce stood from his seat and headed towards the car. He knew things had been too quiet for too long. "I'll be there in ten."

x-x-x-x-x

Not the most pleasant sight, Bruce thought dejectedly as he got his first sight of the crime scene. Immediately locating Dick, he followed the direction to which his adoptive son was pointing and was met with what remained of the head of Maxie Zeus. Picking up the severed head delicately Bruce instinctually took a closer look at the torn tissue and his eyes narrowed slightly at what he was observing. "This wasn't the cause of death," Bruce murmured as he focussed his gaze on the oddly serrated edges of the necks remains, "this was the work of a blade." He directed towards Dick.

"What?" Dick exclaimed as he leaned in before continuing, "Seems odd. Why bother to tear the head off if he was already dead from a knife attack? Maybe the scanner could tell us more?"

Ignoring Dick's comment, Bruce was already using his built-in tissue scanner to scan the torn edges in an attempt to gain further information. It beeped for a few seconds before pulling up an image of a small dagger and several old case files. "I feel like I have seen this blade before." He said quietly as the computer continued to compare sources. "The blade used to kill Zeus is the property of," the scanner pulled up the answer, "Edward Nygma."

"Riddler?" Dick asked in surprise. "What does Riddler have against Zeus?"

"Nothing that I am aware of."

"Do you think Nygma is responsible?" Dick asked, his brow furrowed. "It seems a little out of character."

"Yes, I think it is very likely. The blade in question is one which he keeps on his person at all times. He is very rarely separated from it when not incarcerated as he uses it for the element of surprise or as a final line of defense. What is concerning me is why Killer Croc would display one of Nygma's kills in this manner? Their relationship is amiable at best and they are not known to work together. Nygma is too flamboyant and Croc prefers a subtle touch."

A female voice cut across their conversation. "Bruce are you there?" Oracles voice came through their headsets causing Dick to perk up slightly.

"Go ahead Oracle. Did the blood work come back?"

"Yes and it's a little strange. At the time of death, Zeus was heavily infected with a concoction of drugs which combine to make a very potent truth serum. I ran the compound against the database and it's one of Ivy's inventions."

"Ivy?!" Dick exclaimed again. "Why would Ivy be involved in this?"

"From what I heard over the line, you have a crime which has hallmarks of involving Killer Croc, Riddler and Ivy."

"Croc and Nygma have had dealings in the past and are, as I stated earlier, amiable but Nygma and Ivy have a hostile relationship at the best of times. If they are in league then whatever they have planned is clearly big enough to overcome that dislike."

"Maybe the put their differences aside?" Dick grinned slightly.

"Knowing Riddler, I really doubt that." Oracle sighed. "What's the plan Bruce?"

"I will return to the cave and investigate further. Nightwing, can you finish clearing up the crime scene?"

"Of course."

Bruce nodded. "After you have finished here, return to the cave. If my instincts are correct then we may have stumbled across a much bigger problem than we initially thought. I am leaving to go on patrol with Damian. If we discover anything then I will inform you."

x-x-x-x-x

It only took them two hours to find a lead which looked promising. They had been travelling by rooftop when Damian had overheard two men speaking loudly about Two-Face in one of the dark alleyways below and the duo had paused to listen in to the conversation.

"I wish I could've been there. It sounds great. All in the same room?" The first man continued while Bruce's cowl informed him that he was Alec Marcel, wannabe gangster and a regular member of Two-faces' crew.

"Same room Alec. All of 'em were there! Ivy, Scarecrow, Black Mask, Croc, Hell!" The other man exclaimed and Bruce also identified him, Dean Gabretti, another one of Dent's. "Even Zsasz was there!" He continued.

"Who was leading 'em ? Did ya speak to anyone?" Alec asked in mild excitement as he drew from the cigarette he had placed at the corner of his mouth.

Dean shrugged. "Looked like Riddler was leading and nah I didn't speak. I was there with the boss and I didn't want to step on any toes."

"Scared were ya?"

"You try being locked in a room with all they psychos and see how you feel?" Dean retorted instantly.

Above them, Bruce made a small gesture to Damian and the pair instantly dropped from the darkness, surprising the two gangsters. Without giving them time to react, Bruce spoke while Damian took the non-important goon, "Tell me everything you heard at this meeting! And don't leave anything out or I will know." He commanded, keeping a vague eye on Damian as he continued to pummel the other goon into the ground beside him.

"Alright i'll tell ya!" Gabretti back away slowly. "But if boss finds out I said anything then they'll all come ta kill me! Just like Maxie Zeus!"

"What happened to Maxie Zeus?" Bruce growled at the frightened man, "And do not lie to me or I will know."

"Zeus sold em out! He told some guy about how all the costumes were getting' together and planning on fighting him!"

"Who did he sell them out to? I want the name."

Gabretti shifted about nervously as he struggled to remember. "He had a weird name. It wasn't something' I ever heard before." He paused to gather his thoughts. "It was Ghoul. Something Ghoul!"

Bruce felt something in his stomach drop as he recognised the name but keeping up a front he growled again. "Ras Al Ghul? Was that the name?" Bruce could faintly hear Damian gasp at his grandfathers name but he elected to ignore it.

"Yeah! Yeah! That was his name! Ras Al Ghul, see I knew it was a weird name!" Gabretti gibbered.

His suspicions and fears confirmed, he moved closer to Gabretti until he effectively had him trapped. "Tell. Me. Everything." He hissed.

x-x-x-x-x

"This isn't good Bruce." Dick said uneasily as Bruce finished relaying what he had discovered from the talkative henchman. "If Ras is bringing war to Gotham then there's going to be absolute bloodshed. Innocent people are going to be killed."

"Ras is focussing his attentions on the rogues. Unlike his usually plans, he has no plans to wipe Gotham off the map...for now. Apparently, he wanted Joker to suffer before the rest but has been unable to locate him since he disappeared." Bruces' voice hardened as he mentioned the clown who seemed to be bringing misery to his city yet again. "I am concerned too Dick but at the moment Ras has concentrated his efforts to the costumed villains and we need to deal with that. He blames them all for Talias' death."

"I see he has ignored the pressing fact that Arkham City was created with his backing and it was his direct involvement which brought Talia here?" Leaning back on his chair, Dick rolled his eyes. "I'm also guessing you're not just gonna let Ras kill them and then maybe deal with him?" Dick asked in a light voice while Bruce frowned at him. "Okay then." They sat in silence for a few moments before Dick spoke again. "What does Damian know?"

"Everything. He was with me during the interrogation and heard it all." At Dick's continued stare, Bruce sighed. "He is dealing with it as well as can be expected. He had virtually no interaction with Ras in his early life so he has no real feelings towards him either way. Or so he claims." He finished.

"If it makes you feel any better," Dick started casually, "I don't believe that Damian would ever support Grandpa Ras over us. He craves your approval with everything he has and lets face it, he loves us too much to turn his back on us." He smiled as he considered the young assassin. "What are you planning?"

"We need to stop Ras. He will not be allowed to kill anymore people in my city. Even the criminals." Bruce nodded finally. "Oracle?" He called out.

"Yes Bruce?"

"Have you located any of our missing rogues?"

"After discovered Ivy's involvement I traced her pheromone scent back to its most potent area and she appears to be living in the old mansion house she previously shared with Harley Quinn and Selina Kyle. But that's not all. Look at this." Glancing at the security footage which Oracle was playing for them on the computer, Bruce could get a clear visual of the mansion house. "Using one of your new drones I was able to discover this." Oracle switched on the thermal setting and the apparently abandoned building was suddenly lit with various heat signatures which were dotted around the entire mansion. "That henchman was telling the truth. The rogues have gathered together to prepare for war and this is their headquarters."

"Damn." Bruce hissed as he counted the various bodies which were currently within the building. "Any idea on the whereabouts of Ras?"

"None." Orcale replied instantly. "He is good at covering his tracks, particularly since he does not want you to know he is here. At the moment he is untraceable. I am also unable to hack into the security system within the mansion house to spy without setting off an alert. Nygma has jumped up his security systems it seems. I recognise his programming."

Bringing his hands to his chin as he considered his options, Bruce spoke quietly. "Thank you Barbara. Keep an eye on the stronghold and inform me of any developments. Dick and I will work from here. Goodbye."

"So what are we doing now Bruce?" Dick asked as Barbara said her goodbyes and signed off.

Sighing deeply, Bruce continued to keep his hands clasped in thought. "We wait. At the first sign of trouble we will need to intervene but without his location I will not be able to take out Ras."

"And we do not have the strength to take out the entire gallery of rogues in one swoop." Dick concluded. "Especially when they are prepared for battle and have apparently overcome their differences to work as a team. To summarise, we are stuck between a vengeful Ras Al Ghul and his League of Assassins and a collection of dangerous rogues who have been backed into a corner and are ready for war."

"So it seems."

"I miss the good old days." Dick offered wistfully. "Nothing like this ever happened back in the shorts-and-tights days."

Bruce curled his lips up in an attempt at a smile but it only had the effect of emphasizing the worry in his eyes as he prepared himself for the struggle which was headed his way. Remembering his earlier thoughts, he sighed again. He knew Gotham had been too quiet.


	12. We Have No Time To Lose

Edward winced as the hot water hit one of the healing marks on his shoulder blade. It has taken two full days for the bites and bruising which Jon had inflicted on him with his teeth that afternoon in the greenhouse to begin to heal and this one wound was being stubborn and refusing to disappear. It wasn't just a cosmetic issue, the mark caused a mild pain to shoot through his shoulder even time he disturbed it and this limited his movement slightly. He vaguely amused himself with the thought that if Ras Al Ghul were to attack he would probably be killed outright and when he went for his final judgement it would be recorded down as the result of sex injuries.

His teenage self would have been proud, he mused.

He continued to wash the shampoo from his reddish hair as he hummed along to an old show-tune he had vague recollections of. Whatever peace he was hoping to continue having was soon cut short by an insistent knocking at the bathroom door. "Who is that?" He called out loudly, squinting through the steam which had filled the small room.

"It's me Mistah E!" Came Harley's chirpy voice through the closed door.

"I understand that this is your house Harley," Edward scolded, "but usually when someone goes for a shower it means that they want some time alone. Privacy. That sort of thing."

"Why ya needin' privacy in the shower Mistah E?" Harley asked, mischief clear in her tone. "Do you need me ta send up Doctah Crane to help you out with anything?"

Edward snorted, "When did you get so vulgar Harley? Is this Pamela's fault?"

"Don't be mean about Red when she's not here to defend herself." It was Harley's turn to scold. "Anyway, Kitty and Doctah Crane sent me up here to tell ya to come down into the sparring room when ya finish!"

Suspicious. "Did they mention why?"

The answer came after a moment. "Nah." But Edward could hear the lie in her tone.

Assuming that it wasn't anything bad, Edward sighed again. "Whatever Harley. When I am finished I will dry off and meet you all there? Do I need to bring anything? A gun maybe?"

"You're so funny Mistah E. Just bring yourself and some fighting' clothes."

Moving back under the water spray, Edward heard her soft footsteps disappearing down the hallway and he swore silently. He hated sparring and he was suspicious of Jon and Selina's intent. They usually did not have his best interests at heart.

Realising that he would no longer be able to relax, he shut off the water and wrapped one of the luxury towels around his thin waist. One of the benefits of living in the Siren's house was that they enjoyed their little pleasures and Edward suspected that the cost of each of these towels would be outrageous to the average man.

Drying his hair quickly with another small towel, he slicked the damp hair to the side to keep it from obstructing his vision. Pulling on a dark black t-shirt he suspected that Selina had bought for him and a pair of comfortable yet flexible bottoms, he stopped to inspect himself in the mirror. He looked older than he would have liked. Even with the power boost from Pam he could see the stress, which was consuming him since Ras had made his presence known, on his normally youthful face. "Jesus, Eddie." He muttered as he frowned at the reflection, at least Jon wasn't with him for his good looks.

Locking the door behind him, he started to make his journey as quietly as possible. He would be mortified if one of the other rogues found him in such a state of undress. He had pretences and a reputation to uphold after all. Luckily, the sparring room was on the same floor as him and as he opened the heavy door he was pleased to note that so far his plans had been successful.

As soon as he entered, he noticed Jon, Selina, and Harley watching him. "Umm...hello?" He offered tentatively.

"Edward." Jon greeted and his eyes were twinkling with some unknown emotion which caused Edward's suspicions to deepen. Jon was definitely up to something. "I made an interesting proposal to Selina and she has accepted."

Edward grinned wolfishly, "Has she finally agreed to that threesome? Oh happy days! But then why is Harley here too?" He paused to wink at her. "Oh Jon you sly dog! Did you convince both these beautiful women to join us? If only all those bullies who told you you would die a virgin could see you now!"

As Jon growled his disapproval, Selina snorted. "You wish Ed. No, what Jon means is that he has challenged us to a double spar. Harley and I versus you and Jon. A simple spar, no weapons or use of extreme methods." She shot a look at an innocent-looking Harley.

"Jon did what now?" Edward spluttered as Jon shrugged in his direction. "Ladies, can we have a moment to discuss strategy?"

"Sure Mistah E."

Following Jon into one of the corners of the room, Edward widened his eyes at him. "Jon are you insane? These women will most likely kill us! We do not have the skill to take them both on."

"But we do have the strength and the element of surprise." Jon countered. "We allow them to think they have won and then we use our new found talents to win." He spoke confidently and Edward almost felt convinced.

He frowned. "And if we lose then we will be carrying the bruises of this encounter for the next week! I'm still not fully healed after our own private spar in the greenhouse."

Jon smirked at the memory, "That was my mistake. How is the shoulder?"

"Sore." Edward pouted.

"Would a victory over both Selina and Harley make it feel better?"

"I suppose it might." He sighed deeply. "So what do we do?"

"Exactly as I said. Allow them to believe they have won and then turn the tables on them."

Smiling despite his doubt, Edward nodded. "We can certainly try. Are you ready ladies?" He called out.

"Of course we are!" Harley grinned.

Selina stretched her back out a little and quipped, "It's not like we have to do much to prepare. I give you both five minutes tops. And I bet Jon cries."

"We shall see, Lina!" Edward smiled before taking his position in the centre of the room with Jon by his side. "So how do we want to split this?"

"I want Mistah E! I haven't fought Mistah E before! Harley waved excitedly.

Selina nodded. "That leave me with you Jon."

"Delightful." He dead-panned as he faced her. "On my count then. Three. Two. One. Begin."

As soon as his count down ended he immediately ducked, knowing Selina as he did he knew that she would try to end it quickly and he didn't want to give her the satisfaction. Evading the blow, he realised that he would have to go on the defensive for a while to keep her suspicions down. As he continued to dodge her constant punches, which he only really managed due to his mild speed increase, he glanced at Edward who was faring considerably worse.

Perhaps allowing Harley to go on the offensive was a bad move, Edward sighed internally as he took another swift kick to the arm. So far she had landed a handful of kicks and one jab to his shoulder which, to his eternal embarrassment, pulled a small squeal from him as she directly hit the sore spot. As he tried to dodge her, she swept her leg out and sent him flying to the ground.

Just as Edward hit the floor, Jon felt Selina jam his arm up behind his back and he instantly relaxed in her grip. "I think I've won Jon." Her musical laugh played out behind him.

Casting his eyes to Edward who was lying prone at Harley's feet, he jerked his head in a slight nod. "I don't think so, Selina." He challenged as he summoned all the extra strength which he had been injected with and used it to free his arm and twist around. Without hesitating, he knocked her with his forearm and to her surprise she found herself being thrown fully backwards into one of the padded walls and she fell to the ground a little winded.

As Jon was throwing Selina, Edward pushed himself off the ground as quickly as he could and threw a punch at Harley's upper arm but he misjudged the distance and it caught her on the upper chest and sent her flying to the ground as he himself had been thrown earlier. She missed the mat by a few inches and landed harshly on the wooden flooring.

"Sorry Harley." Edward grimaced as he surveyed the dazed blonde. He had not meant to actually hurt her.

"It's okay Mistah E!" Harley grinned as she hopped back to her feet. "I've had worse."

"Ain't that the truth." Grumbling, Selina pushed herself to her feet again. "So what is the deal then boys? Jon was able to knock me to the floor and the laws of probability state that such an event is almost impossible without outside help. You been stealing Bane's venom?"

Harley shook her head. "Nuh-huh. I betcha Red did something? Sure she did?"

"Correct Harley. Darling Pam injected Jon and I with a diluted version of what she infused you with. The effects are only temporary and will wear off in a few weeks. She did not appreciate the growth of debts between us and this was her solution."

"Nice one Eddie." Selina smiled as she flexed her shoulder. "You might actually make it through this fight with Ras after all!"

"Thanks Selina." Edward frowned. "Shall we continue?"

"Hell yeah!" She grinned ferociously at the thought of a decent bout but as she dropped into a fighting stance a new noise made itself known.

Pulling his ringing phone from his pocket, Edward glanced at the number and his face twitched. Placing the phone up against his ear he answered, "Yes?" A pause. "And you are certain? Okay."

As Edward hung, Jon was the first to notice that his body had went rigid and his expression was lacking. "What has happened?"

"That was our little assassin friend. Ras Al Ghul will be attacking our stronghold tonight." He answered simply. "Assemble the rogues. We have no time to lose."

x-x-x-x-x

Tense. Tense would be the perfect adjective to describe the atmosphere within the room as the final rogue, Black Mask, made his entrance. Standing on the stairs of the main hall, Edward surveyed the room. Each rogue had been under very strict instructions to bring themselves alone and leave any goons or henchmen in a separate part of the house. This was not a meeting which needed an excessive audience. Seeing Ivy give him a nod to let him know that all were present he cleared his throat.

"I have received word," he called out loudly, "that Ras Al Ghul has amassed his forces and will be attacking us at midnight tonight. He is unaware that we know of his plans to attack and this gives us the element of both surprise and home-field advantage. They are not present at the moment but Oswald Cobblepot and Victor Fries have provided us with weapons to keep the invaders at bay but that can only do so much." He held his hands out in a welcoming gesture. "Each of you are responsible for your own safety tonight but be warned that if you allow your fellow rogues to fall in your place then we will all fall. For tonight at least, consider us a team. One solid cohesive unit."

"Don't be selfish bastards, is what he is trying to say." Selina piped up from the front of the crowd.

"Thank you Lina." He rolled his eyes and continued. "When they arrive, I am unsure of the exact numbers but I do believe that we will have the advantage. Some of us are more skilled than others in battle and if you are blessed with talent," he nodded to Harley, "brute strength," he nodded at Waylon, "or other forms of power," he nodded at Pam, "then use these skills to kill as many of these invaders as possible. Every assassin is your personal enemy and they will not hesitate to carve your heart out and present it to their master on a silver platter."

Waylon growled, "Sounds delicious."

Ignoring him, Edward clenched his fists. "Gotham City is your home. It may be hell on earth but it is 'our' hell on earth and we will not be forced off this land by Ras Al Ghul and his misdirected power trip. You each will now have a few hours to gather your wits about you and make whatever preparations you need for tonight's festivities. We shall meet here again at ten and you must bring everything you need, henchmen included, in order to survive."

"We will endure, we will survive and we will win the fight." Edward concluded. "We need to believe that or we have already lost." At his words a cheer of agreement went up from Jervis and it encouraged a few of the others to yell their support. Sighing as he realised that was the best he was going to get, Edward watched as Jervis bolted from the room.

No one else made any effort to move and Edward could see the mix of concern and bloodlust which was flowing through the room. Realising that perhaps his speech was a bit 'much', he sent Jon a quick grimace before facing the crowd again. "Uhh...do we have any questions?"

"What will happen to our bodies if we die in the fight?" Dent inquired casually from the sidelines but there was a heaviness to his voice which was hard to detect but definitely present.

"In the event of death, any bodies will be returned to any living relatives or loved ones," Edward suspected that Dent might be seeking assurance that Gilda would be able to bury him should the worst happen, "and in the event of this not being an option then the remaining rogues will see that you receive an appropriate send off." His words were again met with a silence which dragged on as the minutes ticked by.

The heavy atmosphere was broken by Jervis's sudden reappearance with a massive tea tray filled with several small china cups which contained a mystery liquid.

"Jervis, what is that?" Edward asked, exasperation clear in his tone. He was not in the mood for Jervis's nonsense. Not tonight.

"Green tea my dear Doormouse!" Jervis tittered as he handed out a cup to each of the assembled rogues, each with varying degrees of amusement and annoyance on their faces. "Clean cup! Clean cup!"

"Who set him off?" Edward demanded of the virtually silent room. "Whoever did, know that I hate you." He glanced at the cup in his hands, green tea was supposed to be good for steeling the nerves. Bringing it up to his lips, he gulped down a decent amount of liquid. "But thank you Jervis. I appreciate it."

At this point he was willing to take courage where he could get it.


	13. Would You Kindly?

"Is your view obstructed? Are you able to see everything which is happening?" Edward yelled up towards the small chandelier which decorated the high ceiling. From his position on the center stairs of the main ballroom he could vaguely make out the three dark shapes which were hiding amongst the gloom.

"My view is crystal clear." Came a feminine voice and Edward rolled his eyes.

"Was that a joke? Selina, are you joking now?"

Selina's dark-hair soon peaked out from the side of the chandelier, "You need to get more fun out of life Eddie."

Ignoring her he continued, "And how are Kirk and Deadshot?" He heard a soft exchange of voices followed by a rather loud screech before Selina's head reappeared.

"Kirk is okay," she paused, "I think. When I told him the plan he flapped his wings in a way which looked like a confirmation. And Deadshot says that you have to stop asking before he kneecaps you."

"Excellent." He yelled again and went back to overseeing the rest of the rogues with an exasperated sigh. The majority were standing in the middle of the ballroom as they attempted to work out the best method of positioning themselves to ensure that they would not be immediately bisected by an invading assassin. He could see Ivy at the sidelines whispering to her plants as she encouraged them to surround the entire room, with strategically placed mutated-strains decorating certain areas which she could command to kill with ease.

To his side, Jon was playing about casually with his scythe and Edward could see the various syringes and bombs which were decorating his costume. As a precaution, they had injected all of their rogues and henchmen with a temporary antidote to Jon's fear toxin which should last for at least two days.

There was no point in allowing any of their people to be affected by the toxin since even the slightest distraction could result in death and a loss of valuable manpower. Ivy and Harley were the only two who did not require any injection since Ivy already possessed immunity and she had gifted Harley with the correct concoction to ensure that she would never experience its effects again.

As midnight approached, Edward could feel the tension in the room becoming more pronounced and he welcomed it. When the rogues were on edge they became sharper in both mind and body and he needed them to be on top form if they were to survive. His attention was distracted by a small beeping sound emitting from his watch and he glanced at it to confirm his suspicions.

"Our motion sensors have been triggered which means out defences have been breached," he announced to the room, "Ras will be here in mere minutes and you are not to move against him until I give the signal." A chorus of nods met his words as no one wanted to speak.

Right on time, the front doors of the stronghold burst open as the cold wind of the night swept in their unwanted guests.

Ras entered with his personal guard on each side of him. His war clothing was mostly hidden by a large dark green cape which covered his body and Edward could see the flecks of gold which decorated it and the hints of the darker clothing underneath. As he entered the room, he was flanked by his assassins and Edward was pleased to see that his assumptions had been right and that Ras had obviously not brought the full extent of the League with him. But as the assassins fanned out behind their master, Edward noted that while he definitely had the advantage of numbers in the room he lacked an equal level of combat skill.

"Good evening, Ras." Edward called out pleasantly, his green bowler hat tipping forward slightly as he tilted his head in greeting. "I must say your presence here tonight is," he paused, "unexpected."

Ras pursed his lips as he swept his glance across the room, taking in each of the fully armed rogues and the collection of henchmen and dollatrons which were surrounding them. "Not as unexpected as I would have preferred it seems." He said evenly. "Before we destroy you, will you care to give up how you became aware of my intentions to pay you a visit this evening?"

"As the kids would say, that would be telling tales." Jon offered, curling his lips into a vicious grin as Ras turned his attention towards him.

"Ah Dr Crane. So pleased to see you again. If by some stroke of luck you survive this encounter then my offer still stands, I could find a place for you in my organisation." His strong voice carried across the room and a few rogues sent sly looks Jon's way as they heard the words.

Jon tilted his head in a manner similar to Edward's, "My answer will remain no, as previously discussed."

"A pity." Ras admitted but his voice did not contain a hint of regret. "I assume that it would be foolish to hope that you will all concede to surrender and accept your fate without resisting?"

"That it would." Edward admitted. "We will not fall on bended knee to you and your misguided power trip Ras. You chose this fight and we have risen to the challenge."

"We could postpone this fight to a later date and I will be kind enough to allow you all to leave here tonight alive if you give me the clown." Ras offered suddenly. "I can amuse myself for some time deciding and prolonging his fate for his crimes against me," he paused, "and then I will return for you."

"Joker is not here and we are all currently unaware of this whereabouts. Rest assured that if we had knowledge of him we would have dealt with the issue ourselves. We have no loyalty to him." Edward confessed, keeping a vague eye on Harley whom he could see tensing under the sudden influx of glances which were being sent her way.

Ras held his head up high as he glared at Edward. "So you have all chosen a brutal fight to death instead of accepting the quick execution which I have so kindly offered?"

Edward smiled pleasantly, "We have and you are welcome to try."

"You, thief, will be the first to taste my blade. Followed by him," he glanced at Jon, "and then the rest of the scum that infests this city."

"No need for insults Ras. We are all scum here," Edward gave an empty laugh, "but I have one thing left to say before we get this long-awaited show on the road."

Ras narrowed his eyes, "Choose your words carefully, for they are likely to be your last."

Chuckling at the threat, Edward held up one hand and curled it into the shape of a gun which he pointed directly at the gathered assassins. Taking one final deep breath to steady himself he locked eyes with Ras and called out softly, his voice carrying across the silent room, "Would you kindly?"

And all hell broke loose.

At his uttered words, the assassin whom Edward and Jon has implanted Jervis's mind control chip in to jumped as though she had been shocked and without hesitating drew her blade and pierced the chest of the woman in front of her. Pulling the sword out, she was able to deeply slice the arm of the man to her left before the others surrounding her were able to subdue her.

Realising the issue, Ras yelled, "She is compromised. End her." Before he turned his attention back to the rogues as they used the momentary confusion to rush into their attack.

As the rogues advanced, Edward grimaced slightly as their assassin was instantly beheaded by the assassin holding her. She had lived out her usefulness and done him a service, but she had also destroyed his damn living room, so he quickly threw his attention back to the battle.

x-x-x-x-x

From her position at the sidelines, Ivy was having a great time commanding her babies to help her fellow rogues without having to actually to lift a finger. She noticed one of the assassins standing with their backs to one of her hidden fly-traps and she whispered some instructions to the vine beside her before turning her attention back to the assassin.

It only took a few moments for the whisper to travel and just as the assassin was about to jump on an unsuspecting Jervis, she saw her baby burst from behind the thin wall and close tightly shut around the invader. The actions had drawn the attention of another assassin but she knew that by the time they had managed to chop through her mutated plant that the male assassin trapped within would already be dead from the aggressive acids which filled the plant.

x-x-x-x-x

The assassins were not the only ones to notice Ivy's plant attack and Two-Face frowned as he watched the assault. He couldn't help but be reminded of the almost-fatal romance he had shared with Ivy all those years ago. He definitely dodged a bullet there, he mused. That said, he had long-forgiven the redhead for her attempted murder of him as he himself had payed it back in kind numerous times in the years that had passed. Plus her betrayal had led him straight into Gilda and that was something he would forever be thankful for. But a display of Ivy's raw power always reminded him of how lucky he was to have escaped her grasp.

He carefully aimed at the assassin who was squaring off against him a few feet away and unsuccessfully attempted to land a shot to her chest but she was too quick and dodged each one. As she slowly approached he realised that he had run out of bullets in both his weapons. Feeling a surge of panic he holstered his weapons and raised his fist, a brawl would have to do. Just as the woman was about to reach his position a blur of dark clothing fell from the ceiling and knocked the assassin clean to the floor.

"That's us even now Harv," Selina breathed as she jumped to her feet again, leaving the unconscious assassin for Harvey to finish, "you saved me and now i've repayed the favour." He nodded his agreement to her as she flipped away from a new attacker. Slowing reloading his magnum, he clicked the barrel into place and aimed at the assassins head before pulling the trigger and eliminating the threat.

x-x-x-x-x

Edward surveyed the brutality with passive eyes. It was so unclean and primitive. He had narrowly avoided an assassins blade a few minutes previously but she had been quick enough to nick his upper arm and the small cut was still stinging. Plus she had ruined his suit and he felt no guilt as he shot her in the stomach in revenge. He amused himself by watching as Black Mask tried to fend off two attackers with a machine gun he had produced from some mystery source.

An unexpected hand on his shoulder caused him to jump and he spun around ready to fence off an attack but his movements ceased as he realised that it was Jon.

Jon's costume was splattered with fresh blood and it caused a flair of concern in him. "Is it yours?" He asked curiously.

Jon laughed gleefully and Edward could see the spark of recklessness which he recognised instantly. It would seem that Jon was channeling his inner Scarecrow at the moment. Jon pulled his teeth back in a savage grin and answered, "Not mine Eddie," he laughed, "are you having fun darling?"

"Of course. I haven't had this much fun since the carnival was last in town." Edward answered in a monotone as he smiled back at Jon and watched as the other man winked at him and disappeared back into the fight. "At least something makes him happy." He muttered.

"Zsasz is in trouble." Edward whipped his head around as he heard Deadshot's loud cry from his position on high. He inhaled through his teeth as he spotted Zsasz, a sword sticking obscenely through his naked chest, fall to his knees. Any shout he may have made to get him some help was caught in his throat as the assassin pulled the sword from his body and in one swift movement sliced the head clean off his shoulders.

"ZSASZ HAS FALLEN!" Edward bellowed across the ballroom and he heard back very few responses of recognition. Throwing his reinforced cane up to block an attack he felt a moment of pity for the dead man.

Even amongst the rogues, Zsasz was a loner who did not form attachments or friendships with anyone and there were virtually none among them who would mourn his passing. A sharp kick to his upper leg brought him back into the moment and he fired back by spinning and bringing his elbow up on to the nose of his assailant. He was surprised to find that it made contact and supposed that his increased speed was a factor as the women staggered for a moment. Without allowing her any recovery he spun his cane around and brought it down on her temple as hard as he could and she fell to the floor, unmoving.

Bolting halfway up the staircase and away from the action, he swept his gaze across the room. He could see Harley using her mallet to keep her attackers at bay while Waylon stood nearby, his considerable strength knocking away threats while simultaneously taking bites at anything which got too close. At the far end of the room he could see Ras performing a similar assessment of his forces. He had stayed at his position at the door and was allowing his assassins to do his work for him, only moving to cut down any fool who got too close and Edward grit his teeth at the arrogance.

He forced his gaze to move on.

As he looked at the remaining numbers and the dead who littered the floor he realised that they may be in trouble. The dollatrons were almost completely annihilated, their slow movements making them an easy target, and a great deal of the unskilled henchmen had also been quickly eliminated. If they continued to lose men at this rate then there chances of success were going to be very slim as they would be overwhelmed.

As if sensing his assessment, Ras turned to face Edward directly and gave a small smirk that Edward was easily able to interpret as a sign of challenge and victory. Fueled by rage, Edward lifted up the gun which he had tucked into his belt and took careful aim at the far-away man before squeezing the trigger lightly as he narrowed his eyes in fury.

A screeching crash of noise from above caused him to loosen his grip in surprise and he was forced to duck his head a little as small piece of glasses started to rain down from the ceiling. In shock, Edward watched as a trio of dark figures fell from the shattered glass and landed in the center of the ballroom.

The room stilled as though someone had paused the action as all those present were stunned into silence by the sudden appearance of these new and completely unexpected players.

The Batman, Nightwing and Robin had joined the fray.


	14. Worst of Tragedies And Numerous Maladies

The utter deadness of the room only lasted a few moments before Ras spoke, breaking the silence with his strong accented voice. "Detective," he offered casually, "I must say your presence here tonight is quite unexpected." He nodded slightly to Nightwing in greeting before turning his eyes to the youngest member of the trio, "and you also brought Robin. Wonderful."

As Ras gazed at Robin with calculating eyes, both Batman and Nightwing tensed as they realised that he was plotting something. "Good evening Ras." Batman answered in an equally casual tone but his voice held a slight tension as he watched Ras eye up his son.

"You know why I am here Ras," he continued, "this has gone on for long enough. Leave my city and these people in peace tonight and we will continue this discussion at a later time. There had already been enough death."

"And you know that I cannot agree to that, Detective." Ras responded instantly. "This scum will pay for their crimes against me and my legacy."

"DAMMIT RAS!" Batman shouted from his position in the center of the room, "Talia's death is not the fault of these people. Put aside your misguided hatred and accept the truth."

"Truth?! What truth? They may not have fired the shot which stole her life but they created the conditions in which she perished." Ras hissed. "You are just as responsible for her death in my eyes but I am willing to overlook it if you allow me this revenge which I am long overdue! Not only do you insult me by preventing my vengeance but you have the shame to bring my grandson to this place to fight for those who were responsible for his mothers death!"

Across the room, Edward's eyes shot up in surprise. So the latest Robin was the grandson of the great Ras Al Ghul himself and he had somehow sided with the Batman over his own grandfather. His brilliant mind was quick to put together the clues and he assessed that Batman must be the biological father with Talia being the biological mother.

Despite the gravity of the situation he felt himself smile slightly, he did love a scandal.

"Robin!" Ras continued to shout as he anger took hold of him, "You stand with a man who shares the responsibility of your mothers death. Leave him and join me now and I will see that you become the next Demon's Head after I am gone. Help me to destroy these people, who have slighted the great house of Al Ghul and we will burn this city to the ground and build on its ashes."

At the words, Nightwing let out a hiss of fury and he positioned himself to stand defensively in front of Robin until the Batman pulled him back slightly.

To his credit, Robin did not even flinch at the offer. "I have a great respect for you Grandfather and our family name but I will not side against the Batman and Nightwing to fight with you. From what I understand you brought my mother to Arkham City and if not for your interference in the affairs of this city she would not have been present here to die. You also hold responsibility." He concluded and took a step backwards to show that he had made his choice.

At the obvious rejection, Ras issued a bellow of rage and tore off his cape before leaping gracefully towards the Batman and engaging him solely in battle. At the movement the fighting broke out once again as the remaining assassins concentrated their attacks on Nightwing and Robin, having clearly assessed them as the largest threats.

A handful of the rogues gave Edward questioning looks as they looked for advice on how to proceed. Noticing the glances, Edward threw out his cane and pointed it at the battling Ras and Batman whom everyone was giving a wide berth, "RAS CAME HERE WITH THE INTENTION OF MURDERING YOU ALL! THE WORST THE BATMAN WILL DO IT JAIL YOU! SO TAKE YOUR PICK!" He paused to gather a breath before bellowing again, "CONTINUE THE ATTACK ON THE LEAGUE AND WHEN THEY ARE FINISHED WE CAN DEAL WITH THE BAT!"

Nodding their consent, the rogues jumped back into their various fights with renewed vigour as they fought alongside the three heroes in their uneasy alliance.

x-x-x-x-x

Selina smirked as she watched the Batman face off against Ras. If there was anyone in the room who could succeed at taking down the maniac then it was definitely him. Moving to the left she was instantly confronted by a duo of blade-wielding assassins. "Ahh." She hissed out. One was difficult enough, two would be almost impossible and she glanced around her to see if anyone around could offer support but she came up short.

Dropping into a fighting stance, she prepared to take on the duo but before she could land a single blow an inhumane screeching caused her to wince as Man-Bat descended from his position on the chandelier. Using his unnatural strength, he sunk his claws into the shoulders of one of the attackers and, flying high, shot out of one of the upper story windows. Grinning at the save, she sank back into her stance and leapt gracefully to attack the remaining assassin.

x-x-x-x-x

Bouncing about the ballroom with her natural grace, Harley was having a grand time as she used her mallet to smash any assassin who got too close. She had taken a sharp cut to the forearm but before she could fight off the assassin who had harmed her, he was attacked by some mutated vines which wrapped themselves around his legs as he was dragged off the battlefield. Harley grinned as she thought of her warrior girlfriend, Red somehow always knew when she needed help.

Spinning in place, she saw an assassin about to plunge their sword into someone's turned back and she brought her mallet down harshly, knocking them to the ground fully unconscious. The person she saved whirled around and Harley was surprised to see the blue and black figure. "Guess ya own me one now Birdwing!" She puffed up with pride.

Nightwing smiled and nodded his thanks to her, "Thank you Harley. Also, it's 'Nightwing'."

"Whatever Nighthawk." She giggled as she went to go check on Red.

x-x-x-x-x

Keeping his attention on the battle Edward was pleased to note that the assist from the Bat and his two spawn had definitely started to turn the tide in their favour. Everywhere he looked, assassins were being knocked unconscious or outright killed and he could not have been more proud. He wondered how Ras was doing now and he sought out the madman who must now be feeling the pressure.

He was surprised to find that Ras was already watching him from many meters away.

Locking eyes with Ras, Edward felt a cold thrill of danger as Ras started to approach him, ignoring everything else around him as he started to hunt down the genius. Glancing around to find the Batman whom he knew Ras had been fighting, Edward was disappointed to find that he was nowhere to be seen. His eyes fell on the fresh blood which was decorating Ras's ornate sword and he felt a stab of fear that Batman may have actually been defeated. If that were true, then they were all doomed.

Reaching the stairway, he started to back up the wide stairs until he found himself falling backwards as he tripped over a body which had been discarded carelessly. Grumbling as he righted himself, his complaints were instantly ceased as he looked at the fallen body.

His breath caught as Jervis Tetch's unseeing eyes gazed back up at him.

An absurd well of emotion rose up within him as he stared at the small pool of blood which was still leaking out from beneath the corpse of his on-again off-again friend.

Jervis did not deserve this. To be left here like a dead stray while the battle raged on around him. Leaning down, Edward pulled his eyelids down to give him what little decency he could in the current situation before he quickly started to continue his upward descent.

As he continued to climb, he wondered if Jon knew. Of all the rogues, Jervis was one of the very few which Jon shared a genuine sort of friendship with and Edward suspected that this loss would have quite an affect on his emotionally-stunted partner. Pushing his sadness to the side, he knew that he had to keep his mind on the fight at hand as he reached the upper balcony and away from the still advancing Ras.

Stepping out onto the outer balcony he took in a few precious gulps of fresh air as he tried to work out how he was going to escape this situation. The balcony itself was too high to jump from and such a cowardly action seemed somehow beneath him. He tightened his grip on his cane, his gun had been lost in an earlier encounter, since it was now his last and only line of defence. He inhaled deeply as Ras finally appeared at the entrance to the balcony.

Edward narrowed his eyes in thought, "Unless I am mistaken I can hear the Batman calling you from the main room. You should return and continue your battle with him."

"Still making jokes, even at the end," Ras said evenly, "the Detective and I will settle our disagreement on a different day."

So the Batman was alive, Edward felt a small burst of hope as he thought of Jon, Selina and the other remaining rogues. Even if he were finished, the Bat should be able to help them at least. "You can kill me if you wish Ras but we both know that I am not responsible for what happened that night."

Ras raised his sword and pointed it at Edward, "You and your kind stole a life from me and tonight I will steal it back." The sounds of the ongoing fight within the stronghold continued to break out from the open balcony doors and Edward strained to pick up any new cries or announcements. "You will also die for being a common thief. You slithered like a snake into one of my private spaces and stole from me one of my most precious assets, this alone was a death sentence for you."

"To be fair I did have a brain tumour," Edward smiled hollowly, "can we chalk my actions up to the slight misjudgement of a dying man?"

Ras shook his head, "You have been living on borrowed time then. How fitting that I am the one to bring it to an end." He lurched forward and Edward jumped to the side to avoid the swinging blade, only his injection from Ivy giving him the necessary reaction time to do so. In the same movement, Ras struck out with his foot and knocked him to the ground. Hitting the balcony floor hard, Edward was fully winded as he stared at Ras who was now lifting his sword to deal the killing blow.

Clamping his mouth shut in anticipation of the pain ahead, he was stunned when a black figure flew from over his head and tackled Ras harshly, forcing them both to slam into the stone barrier which surrounded the balcony to prevent people from falling to their deaths.

Scrambling to his feet, Edward was again stunned to see that the Batman now had Ras's throat clenched in his hand and his sword hanging loosely in his other hand. "IT'S OVER RAS!" Batman roared as he threw the stolen sword over the balcony, "YOUR PEOPLE ARE ALMOST FINISHED AND SO IS THIS FOOLISH PLAN!"

Edward felt a wave of relief sweep through his system. Batman has the advantage over Ras. He exhaled slightly at he realised that this was it, Ras was about to be defeated.

Ras snarled savagely, "Be that as it may, Detective," he grunted out through clenched teeth as his hand disappeared into his robe, "but i will not leave here empty handed."

All Edward saw was the flick of Ras's hand and a small flash of silver before he felt a searing pain in his stomach. Glancing down, he saw the small handle of the silver dagger protruding from his abdomen and he fell to his knees in shock.

x-x-x-x-x

Finishing off yet another attacker with his scythe, Jon was impressed with how well Ivy's serum seemed to impact on his stamina. He was barely breathless as he swung the blade around with ease, creating a comfortable space in which no one could enter without being slashed. His actions halted as his instincts suddenly started to tell him that something was wrong and he turned to locate Edward amongst the remaining fighters. He was nowhere to be seen and he felt a small panic start to bloom in his system.

His sharp gaze picked up on Ras advancing the far stairs and although he was unable to see exactly whom he was following his intuition was telling him that it was Edward. Using his long legs to his advantage, he started to weave among the ongoing battles as he attempted to catch up with Ras. Ducking under a blade, he continued his run, only being momentarily distracted by the Batman who swung over his head and landed many meters ahead. Following the Bat's path he arrived on the balcony just in time to see the small silver dagger fly from Ras's experienced hand and launch itself into Edward's clearly unprotected chest.

x-x-x-x-x

Having thrown the dagger, Ras pulled another from his pocket and slashed at the hand which was holding him in place. In pained surprise, Batman let go of the throat in his grip and shoved at Ras's body to keep the next attack away from him.

Unprepared for the push, Ras staggered for a moment before falling backwards against the stone which had been weakened by their earlier struggle. The stone made a loud creaking noise and before anyone could react the small section which Ras was leaning against crumbled under his weight and both the stone and Ras himself fell into the darkness below.

"NO!" Batman screeched and dove into the darkness after the falling man, leaving Jon and Edward alone on the balcony.

x-x-x-x-x

Still staring at the dagger in his stomach as though it were somehow offending him, Edward barely felt it when Jon grabbed him from behind and laid him out flat against the ground. He did not protest the move since the pain which was coursing through him would not allow him.

"Are you serious Edward?" Jon hissed furiously, his voice a little desperate as he inspected the dagger, "why did you not dodge out of the way?"

Edward coughed and the motion sent a new sharp bolt of pain through his system, "I must apologise Jon. I thought being stabbed in the stomach would be an excellent way to end my fight." He offered sarcastically before his voice lowered a notch in fear, "How bad is it?"

Jon watched the slowly growing patch of blood which was issuing from the wound with calculating eyes. Edward was losing too much blood, even with the dagger left in place. "It's not good," he confessed before continuing in a detached voice, "you are bleeding out too quickly, you will soon go into shock and your body will start to shut down."

"Oh joy." Edward muttered sarcastically as he pulled off his gloves with his teeth before placing his hand atop Jon's as it lay gently on his upper chest. "How is our army doing? Can you check please?"

Jon disappeared from his side and Edward concentrated on trying to keep his breathing steady and his heartbeat down in an attempt to delay his fate.

It took less than a minute for Jon to reappear as he knelt by Edward's side again, placing one hand against the pulse point in his neck and the other on his chest.

"We have won. With their master gone, what remains of the assassins are either fleeing or being taken out by the rogues and both Nightwing and Robin have disappeared to help Batman deal with Ras. Many of our people have fled too, afraid of being captured by the Bat should he return I think. That said, most of our closest allies still remain although I was unable to see exactly who."

Nodding at the information, Edward shuddered before speaking lowly with a slight hint of teasing, "Do I have time left for one final riddle?"

"If you insist?" Jon rolled his eyes in a poor attempt at humour, trying to put Edward at ease even as his heart clenched at the words. Edward had accepted his death it seemed and it filled Jon with a hollow feeling of helplessness.

"It caused the destruction of Troy, the worst of tragedies and numerous maladies, yet it is chased, desired and fought for: What is it?" Edward muttered seriously.

Jon chuckled despite the sadness in his eyes as he interpreted the answer, "You do not love me Edward. If you insist on making a deathbed confession at least try to be honest and avoid typical cliches. You are better than that."

"Maybe I don't love you," Edward admitted with a pained smile, "but I would if I could. We have been through a lot together Jon, and in total honesty, if I could love anyone it would be you." Slightly embarrassed by his words, he avoided Jon's eyes and went back to staring at the dagger.

"Do you remember that day in the kitchen after I almost killed you?" Jon asked suddenly, the mild desperation in his voice deepening, "When I told you that if you were to die I would not seek companionship with anyone else?" Edward looked up at him and nodded. "My words were true then and even now, facing the possibility of life alone, I still feel the same. If I could love, I would also choose you. Above everyone else." He tightened his grip on Edward's hand at the confession to emphasise the sincerity of his words.

"Fucking Ras Al Ghul," Edward hissed, his momentary rage overpowering his aversion to cursing, "I really do hate that man."

"He will get what is coming to him," Jon's eyes flashed as he thought of the man who was responsible for Edward's injury. Edward could see the utter darkness which was now being reflected in Jon's hateful eyes and he realised that whatever Jon was planning was unlikely to end well for him.

Lifting his arm slowly, Edward placed his open palm on the side of Jon's face to grab his attention, "Do you recall when I allowed you to willingly inject me with toxin?" He waited until he felt the nod of confirmation, "Do you also remember what you promised me that day?"

"A request," Jon answered instantly, "One request which I would have to follow no matter what."

"Given the situation I have decided to call in my one request, here and now." Edward felt his legs start to go numb and he spoke quickly. "Do not seek revenge for me. You will not attack Ras Al Ghul, challenge the League or do any other form of action which will place you deliberately on their radar. No crazed suicidal rampages. No revenge. That is my one request."

He could see the defiance in Jon's gaze as he prepared to argue the demand but his words were cut off as Edward felt his weakened hand slip from his face, unable to keep its grip.

"If that is what you want then I will do my best." Jon agreed softly as he grasped at Edward's hand, which was colder than he would have liked.

He was going to lose Edward.

The one person in this cesspit of a universe who had been able to worm their way through his considerable defences and still further into his actual affections, a feat which he had thought impossible. Edward was the one person who had seen his true face and chosen to remain with him despite the danger.

He had literally gone to war for the man beneath him and this is how he was being rewarded.

It was not fair.

He could not lose Edward now.

His throat tightened as he leaned down and placed his warm forehead against Edward's cool one, "You know I am a selfish man Edward," he started slowly, "but I want you to know that there are few things in this world I would not give up in exchange for you to stay with me now. The thought of returning to our apartment without you, of feeling your presence in there constantly and yet being unable to actually see or hear you, is unacceptable to me."

At the confession, Edward felt an odd wetness on his face and he realised that at some point during Jon's short speech he had shed a tear. How embarrassing, he mused. "Riddle me this," he started in preparation of making some witty response but he was cut off by a loud coughing fit which prevented him from speaking as white spots danced at the corners of his vision. Feeling the weakness in his body reach a new peak, he found himself unable to continue to fight off the darkness which was attempting to consume him.

As his vision faded to black, the last thing Edward heard was a series of hurried footsteps approaching the balcony and a small, pained moan, which sounded suspiciously like it came from Jon, and it made his heart clench just as his eyes closed fully and he fell into the welcoming darkness.


	15. Pay My Respects

Jonathan Crane hated funerals.

As much as he was prone to enjoy human suffering, there was a noted difference between fear and grief and he found himself uncomfortable with the open displays of sadness which were prevalent at funerals.

Fear interested him.

Grief did not.

He would not be foolish enough to deny that he felt a mild sorrow as the thought of the man who was currently residing in the expensive-looking coffin just a few meters away but he would be damned before he showed it. The coffin itself looked small to him and he could not shake the feeling that such a basic and boring resting place seemed unfair for its new owner.

But he was not alone in his sadness. Of the funerals which had taken place in the aftermath of the fight, this one was the most attended by far. At a glance, Jon could count at least a dozen of his fellow rogues milling around the room and he was pleased that they had made the effort. But even as he swept his gaze across the sombre crowd which had assembled for the burial he found himself uninterested in their various expressions.

Harvey Dent was standing closest to him, his right arm in a sling as he wore his usual black and white split-suit which was subtle enough to fit in with the other muted ensembles which everyone had worn out of respect. At one of the far corners he could also see Black Mask being wheeled around by his assistant Ms Li. According to the others Sionis had been unfortunate enough to receive two broken legs during the melee and in Jon's opinion it could not have happened to a nicer person. Also, if the sly smirks which Selina was sending the wheelchair-bound man at every opportunity were anything to go by, he knew that he was not the only one enjoying Sionis's temporary misery.

The Sirens were holed up together in the centre of the room. Selina was in a simple black dress which highlighted the heavy bruising which decorated her upper arms. To her left, Ivy had elected for her typical leaf-based outfit but in a darker shade of green that she was generally preferred. Jon raised an eyebrow slightly as he took in Harley's appearance since she had elected to wear bright colours but she had, for some reason, thrown a black veil over her face. He couldn't help but feel a small burst of amusement as he looked at the three, they were disgustingly predictable.

His staring caught the eye of Harley and she excused herself from the pair to walk up to Jon. "How ya doin' Doctah Crane?" She sat delicately next to him and moved the dark veil so that it sat over her hair instead of obstructing her view.

"I am fine Harley. I am always fine." He sighed in response, he should have known people were going to question him.

"It's okay, I miss him too!" Confiding quietly, she made a move to lean in for a hug but backed off when he visibly leaned out of her touch, "Are ya gonna make a speech?" She asked, her tone sympathetic.

Jon shook his head, "No. I have not made any plans to." He saw Harley open her mouth to protest and he cut her off with a sharp glance, "Harleen, leave it. I will not be making a speech."

Sensing that her opinion was not wanted she tilted her head, "Okay Doctah Crane, I understand." She paused to give him a final sad look before bouncing away to sit back next to Ivy, who started to send sneaky looks his way as she attempted to gauge his reactions. Giving her a nod, he returned his gaze to the front of the room.

He felt a soft vibration in his front pocket and he realised that he was receiving a call. Pulling the phone out he glanced at the number and sighed deeply before answering heavily, "Yes?"

"Look behind you." A soft voice announced through the small device and Jon spun on the spot at the odd demand and he frowned as he took in the sight of his caller.

"Edward, what are you doing here?"

Struggling down the small path which separated the chairs which were scattered about, Edward moved slowly as he clutched gently at his abdomen in an attempt to disturb it as little as possible, "Do not look too pleased at my appearance," he extended an arm and held it out to Jon subtly, "a little help please?" He continued.

Moving forward, Jon accepted his arm and helped him to take a seat in one of the chairs near the front of the collection. "You are not supposed to be outside of the apartment you fool," Jon hissed as he moved Edward to sit as upright as possible, "if you tear those stitches out I swear that I will forgo the use of any anaesthesia when I am fixing it up for you. My instructions were to make sure that you were bedridden for at least another week."

"I had to be here," Edward countered as he tried to catch his breath, "Jervis deserved at least that. Besides if they did burst open again I could just phone my new best friend Hush to come and fix them since he seems to be the only one with the appropriate skills."

Groaning softly in annoyance, Jon rolled his eyes. "Are you ever planning on getting over that? If it was not for Elliott's admittedly impressive surgical skills you would have bled out on that damn balcony. Do not be so ungrateful. You know for a fact that no one else would have been able to keep you as stable."

"And is if that were not enough," Edward continued as he totally ignored Jon, "not only do I now owe Hush a favour, I also owe Ivy. Again." He grumbled.

"Since you seem to be feeling particularly ungrateful today I will remind you again that it was Ivy who used her natural abilities to administer the drugs which forced your blood to clot and stopped you from bleeding out. How many more times are we going to have this conversation?"

Scowling as he noticed Ivy throwing an exaggerated wave and a smirk his way, Edward sunk into his chair a little, "At least another couple I should imagine. I am pleased to see that my flowers arrived in time." His scowl changed to a light smile as he glanced over at the collected flora.

Jon did not have to guess which set came from Edward as he took in the sight of the huge hat-shaped bouquet which stuck out from the regular flowers garishly. "Jervis would have been pleased," he sighed as he glanced at the small coffin at the front of the room again, "he has received a better turnout than the others."

Zsasz's funeral had very little attendees but it was still nice to see the few rogues who had stuck to their agreement actually appear. He had been unofficially buried in one of the many graveyards which littered Gotham and they had marked his grave with a false name to prevent damage.

Edward nodded at the assessment. "Did you dispose of Flamingo's ashes?"

The only other rogue who required a burial was Flamingo, the assassin Pyg had provided, but that had been a deliberately private ceremony. After discovering that the man had been slain, Jon had contacted Pyg to let him know about the death and apparently Pyg had made some deeply concerning comments about being allowed the body for various experiments. That plus the odd, undeniably sexual, moaning noises which he continued to make throughout the phone call meant that Jon had lied and told him that the body would not be recoverable.

Edward himself had paid for a private cremation., partially because Flamingo died defending Gotham and partially because Pyg absolutely disgusted him, and Jon had scattered the ashes in Gotham harbour a few days previously. His musings were cut short by a new figure approaching them.

"Ivy will have you for that." Selina mused as she took a space in the empty seat at the opposite side of Edward and indicated her head towards the unnecessarily huge display of flowers.

Smirking, he wagged his finger, "That is where you are wrong dear, each of the plants in that display are easily replantable and will continue to bloom for years to come. I, being a genius, am aware that I am too fragile at the moment to take Ivy on and I want to avoid a confrontation until I can move faster than my current tortoise-pace."

Selina nodded in agreement as she narrowed her eyes at Edward, "Why are you here Eddie? Even I know that you are not allowed to leave your apartment."

"I had to be here. Jervis may not have been my favourite person but he was a friend and he died helping us all to survive. I need to pay my respects." Finishing his explanation he quickly darted his eyes to the distracted Jon and Selina was hit with realisation. Edward was here to support Jon. Jervis and Jon had an odd friendship which she never really understood but she could appreciate Edward trying to help his partner out.

"How much longer will our truce hold up?" Jon asked suddenly as he jumped back into the conversation. "Has the winged rat given you a date? Also, has he has any more contact with the League?"

Digging her nails into Jon's arm, Selina spoke in a honeyed voice. "Watch your tone Jon," she lessened his grip and continued, "I think we should be good for another couple of days. Then it's back to the usual games." Batman had informed her that he would allow them some time to collect and bury their dead with respect before he would begin his pursuit of them all. A small boon which she suspected may have something to do with Harley saving Nightwing, an event which everyone knew about. "He also told me that Ras has left the country to heal and recoup. The fact that he failed to kill us all and sustained heavy losses in the process has made him wary of another attempt."

"Jon. Selina. Let's not fight," Edward soothed as he brought an arm around each of them, "did you both know that funerals often lead to an increase in sexual relations between attending couples? Jon and I are sorted but if you feel the desire for company then you should know that we will both be here for you, Selina, to help you through this hard time. I am always happy to support a friend in need."

Jon held back a snort as he watched Edward try to win over Selina, "Eddie you can barely walk ten paces without assistance so I don't think I see any sex in your immediate future," she sighed exasperatedly, "he is never going to give up with this threesome thing is he?" She directed at Jon.

"I highly doubt it." Jon confessed, untucking himself from Edward's arm as he watched Harley take the stage to start making a small speech of her own as the funeral of Jervis Tetch finally got underway.

x-x-x-x-x

Settling back into his bed, Edward allowed himself to sink into the comfort as he tried to lessen the dull ache which had settled in his abdomen as a result of his days activities. To his side, Jon was concentrating on trying to finish the journal which had propped up against his chest. They could both feel the strain of the day weighting on them as they finally were afforded the opportunity to relax.

"That was a nice ceremony," Edward offered quietly as he stretched out his arms delicately, "and now that it is finished we are free to do as we like."

"Do you think Ras will make another attempt at annihilating us when he had fully recovered? Such an embarrassing loss will no doubt make an impression on his pride." Turning a page, Jon send Edward a questioning look.

Sighing at Jon's inability to take the pleasure in anything, Edward shrugged."I doubt we will see Ras for a long time. He is now aware that we know he has a grudge against us and we are prepared to take him on. I also suspect he believed that he could eliminate us without the Batman discovering his plan and now that Batman has clearly aligned himself with our defense I imagine it would put him off somewhat." He concluded.

Chuckling softly, Jon was clearly pleased. "Excellent. I have had quite enough excitement in the last few weeks to last me for the next short while. I am looking forward to getting back to my research and making a half-hearted attempt to ensure that you do not accidentally eviscerate yourself."

"Really?" Edward asked, exasperated. "You want to jump back into working on your toxin? Can we not take a week off to just relax?" Edward pouted. He did not mind Jon working on his toxin in general but not when he himself was bedridden and unable to work on his own plans.

"My work does relax me. It is my favourite hobby. Just because I was intelligent enough to avoid being stabbed does not mean I should remain as bored as you will be over the coming days."

"Speaking of being bored," Edward mused as he placed his hand on the thin sheet which covered Jon's upper thigh, "I have an excellent idea of how to overcome my current lack of activity and I think it could considerable benefits for the both of us." He caught Jon's eye and winked suggestively.

Directing his gaze back his journal, Jon picked up Edward's hand within his own and placed it back on Edward's own lap, giving it a patronising tap as he let go. "Now Edward," he started in a slow voice, "the good Dr Elliott says, and I quote, that you are to avoid all strenuous activity for the next two weeks at least. Try to be a good patient."

Unwilling to give up, Edward smirked, "You know Jon, there are ways around that. For example, I could just lie here and you could develop a sudden case of 'wandering hand syndrome' and if, for whatever reason, I decided to not put up a struggle, it could have a very pleasurable ending."

"My answer is still no, get a hold of yourself Edward." Jon answered, exasperated.

Edward scowled, "Looks like I might have to." He grumbled as he turned back to his side of the luxury bed.

Settling back in to a comfortable silence, Jon waited a few moments before announcing in a dry voice with only a slight hint of teasing, "I still cannot believe you tried to tell me you loved me because you thought you were dying. Of all the cliches..."

"Shut up Jon." Edward sighed but his face was filled with a content smile as he continued to fill in the small crossword puzzle which he had now propped up on his own lap. He knew he was never going to be allowed to live that one down. But as he threw a shifty glance at the man who lay next to him, the man who had literally risked his life to go to war for him, he supposed that maybe he could come to live with it.

Maybe.

x-x-x-x-x

 **And that is it ladies and gentlemen! The end of my Puzzles and Phobias series! Its been a long while since it started and i am in equal parts pleased and devastated that it is finished.**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who has stuck with me throughout this series. You don't know how much your support has meant to me as i worked through this (especially since it is the first longfic i have ever written in my life). I may do some oneshots but the main story itself is finished!**

 **Thank you all, for everything xx**


	16. (Oneshot) Sun, Sea and Snark

"This is exactly what we needed," Edward sighed happily as he sunk down further into his sun lounger, "remind me to do something nice for Ozzie when we get home." He offered quietly to the seated man beside him.

"Then I suggest we leave right now and you can tell him in person how much you have enjoyed this...umm...fun trip?" Jon asked, his voice only containing a small hint of his distress as he hunkered down as deeply as he could into the shade which was been provided by the large parasol which was covering him.

Smiling fondly as he pushed his sunglasses down and turned his head to glance at Jon, Edward sent a look of false concern his way, "What is the matter dear, is the sun not agreeing with you?" To Edward, Jon looked very out of his depth in the heat and he was enjoying the sight on a sadistic level.

"Oh you know how much I love the sun," Jon answered sarcastically, "I cannot get enough of it." He kicked away a tiny crab which was slowly making its way towards his exposed feet with a vicious flick of his foot and went back to glaring at the nearby sea.

They had arrived the previously day after Edward had spent weeks attempting to convince Jon that they were in desperate need of a holiday in order to rejuvenate and spend some real time relaxing. Jon had been very adamant that he would not be attending and it had taken Edward much coaxing and wheedling in order to get him to eventually agree.

That and the fact that they were ensured complete privacy on the small island which was personally owned by Oswald Cobblepot was enticing enough to convince him.

The first day had been spent organising their belongings in the large beach house and having a quick exploration of the surrounding area in order to establish exactly what facilities were available to them. Ozzie had explained that they could phone a nearby island if they needed anything and that chefs, masseurs and other entertainments could be with them within an hour.

Today was the first day they had the opportunity to just enjoy the sunshine and relax on the fine white sand.

And Jon had done nothing but complain.

"Please try to cheer up," Edward sighed exasperatedly as he pushed the glasses back up and went back to his lounging position, "Why don't you pull up a lounger and come lie beside me? Do not think I didn't notice that you brought a huge selection of books and journals with you, so why don't you relax and enjoy reading one in the sun?"

"I hate the sun," Jon immediately contested, "I have never enjoyed it. One of the few benefits of Gotham City is that it always seems to be in a perpetual state of winter." He sulked.

"That is true. I wonder if Victor has something to with that," Edward pondered as he stretched his arms up above his head, "remind me to look into that when we get home."

Jon made a small noise of dissent and attempted to readjust the loose orange shorts which Edward had insisted he wear in the sunshine. His torso was mostly covered by a long, plain white shirt which he had thrown on to prevent himself from burning in his short time he was being exposed to the sun.

On the lounger, Edward was wearing barely anything aside from the tiny, vivid green shorts which he had proudly shown to Jon earlier in the morning with a disgusting excitement. He had pulled the bottom of the shorts up higher until they were barely covering his upper thighs as he lay, splayed in the sunshine.

"You are going to burn," Jon said, his voice carrying a hint of warning, "I have not seen you apply any form of sun protection since we have left the beach house." If Edward became burned then he would be damned before he would agree to slather him in soothing creams.

"Wow Jon, I did not know that you cared," came Edward's falsely humbled reply, "But do not worry yourself, I do not actually need any sun protection."

Jon snorted, "Has your ego reached such a level that you believe that the sun will have no effect on you? Really Edward?" He had never heard of anything so ridiculous in all his life. "Skin cancer will not be a good look on you, dear."

Frowning a little at the insult, Edward whipped the sunglasses off and spun around so that he could sit and face Jon. "What I mean," he emphasised his words, "dear, is that my small dip into the Lazarus Pit seems to have resulted in a few odd side-effects which are quite minor but hard to explain."

Blinking, Jon met his eyes with open skepticism, "the Lazarus Pit stops you from achieving tanned skin?"

"Have you ever noticed how my natural pallor never seems to alter?" He tilted his head as he watched Jon think it over.

"Not really. You have always been somewhat pale."

He nodded, "Exactly. Since my experiences in the Lazarus Pit I have discovered that I can't seem to achieve a darker tone of skin by any natural means. It seems likely that I am going to carry this particular shade of 'fresh corpse white' until I perish."

Now that Jon considered it, Edward did always have a pale complexion regardless of how much time he spend outdoors, "Do you know why?"

"When I entered the pit I was near death, I can only assume that this is one of the prices of its use. It does not bother me but it is an interesting tidbit," he concluded, "but it does allow me to wear what I want in the heat without any fear of foolish tan lines." He winked.

Snorting again, Jon stretched out and brushed his hand along Edward's exposed leg and was surprised to find that Edward was even paler than himself. "Lucky for you." He smirked as he lay back down on the towel which he had planted himself on.

A yawn stretched his jaw as the oppressive heat made him more sleepy than he would like, "I think I may go for a small nap if you are going to continue to bore me with your sunbathing."

"I am not boring." Edward argued before shrugging and rolling onto his front to allow his back to experience a little of the warmth.

x-x-x-x-x

Edward was soon pulled from his own heat-induced nap by an odd sound which seemed out of place in the calm atmosphere of the beach and he followed the sound to its source.

Jon was moaning lightly in his sleep and despite Edward's hope that it was a pleasant moaning which he could claim to be responsible for, he could tell that Jon was having a nightmare.

Biting his lip, Edward debated what to do. Pretending to still be asleep and allowing Jon to wake up from his own nightmare would be the safest course of action since Jon had a tendency to act out when he was discovered.

But he really did not enjoy seeing Jon in this state and it would be kinder to pull him out before things became worse.

His decision was soon made for him as he heard Jon whisper a faint plea for his great granny to leave him alone.

A sudden wave of guilt washed over Edward as he came to a realisation. Jon had not had a nightmare of this manner in a long time and it must have been triggered by something which was currently affecting him. A few of Jon's tales of how his sadistic great-granny was prone to forcing him to work hard labour for many hours in the boiling Southern heat while she lounged in the comfort of the shade floated through his mind and he frowned with annoyance at his own actions.

He wanted this trip to allow Jon to relax, not to cause him to recall his traumatic childhood.

Jumping from his lounger he bent down and gently attempted to shake Jon into consciousness. His efforts were instantly successful as Jon's eyes flew open as his panicked stare started to dart around his surroundings as his body language became aggressive.

Standing with his palms held out in a sign of peace, Edward allowed him a moment to gather his bearings and settle down before he gently grabbed one of Jon's clenched palms. "You were having a nightmare," he said soothingly, "I thought it better to wake you."

"Thanks for that," Jon said through gritted teeth.

An awkward silence was only punctuated by the cries of a few nearby birds and Edward felt the overwhelming need to explain himself.

"Jon, I apologise if this trip has brought up some bad memories for you. I only wished for us to have a nice holiday to relax before we throw ourselves back into work. After the whole Ras Al Ghul debacle and Jervis' death I thought this would be good for us," he stopped before continuing, "if you want to leave tonight, we can leave."

"I do not want to leave, Edward! Do not coddle me like a child!" Jon spat but he did not pull his hand away from Edward's.

He took a deep breath and appeared to calm himself. "I do not want to leave but thank you for the offer Edward. Excuse me while I go make myself some lunch." He moved to stand from his seated position as he wiped off the small beads of sweat from his forehead.

To his surprise, Edward stood with him.

"Lets make some lunch." He announced cheerily as he linked his arm with Jon's.

Rolling his eyes slightly as he realised that Edward felt guilty, Jon allowed the movement and the pair of them walked but up the sandy path towards the beach house.

Passing through the entrance room, they took an immediate right towards the kitchen. The kitchen itself was coloured in a delicate light blue shade and Edward made another mental note to discover which personal decorator Ozzie used.

"So what are we having?" Edward called out as he untucked his shorts and allowed them to fall to their natural length.

Pulling several types of vegetable from the fridge, Jon handed them to Edward for inspection, "A salad sounds adequate."

"Watching the waistline are we?" Edward placed the nicest items on the wooden chopping board before snatching one of the knives which he had snatched out of the top drawer of the nearest unit and passed it along.

"I have no real appetite." Jon replied instantly as he took the knife from Edward and started to roughly chop the small red tomatoes which had passed the standards test which Edward put most of his food up to.

Watching as Jon completed his task, Edward smiled at the sight of the infamous Scarecrow standing chopping tomatoes in his open shirt and bright orange shorts.

If only people knew.

x-x-x-x-x

The oppressive heat of the day had mellowed into something much more manageable as the sun set and night crept over the horizon.

Laying side-by-side on loungers, both Jon and Edward were amusing themselves by discussing various potential ways which they could piss off Ivy with the rare plants which they knew were contained within the surrounding flora.

"We could sent her a few specimens via post and time how long it takes her to respond to us?" Edward suggested with a small chuckle as he lazily rested his hands on Jon's short-covered upper leg.

Nodding in agreement, Jon cracked his neck softly. "She would be here within a day and most likely kill us both. No mercy."

"It would be funny though." His smile grew a little as he sighed in contentment. The rest of their day had been uneventful aside from one small incident with a rather large lizard and Edward felt truly happy.

Even in his happy state, he could not avoid a little bit of mischief as he eyed up the nearby sea. "Ever been skinny-dipping Jon?"

Without even bothering to cover up his disgusted glare, Jon held up a hand in question, "Is that a sincere question? Have you hit your head? Of course I have not."

Ignoring his tone, Edward raised an eyebrow suggestively, "Want to?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I will not embarrass myself."

"Is this a self-confidence thing? Because if it is I want you to know that I would love to see you naked in the moonlight." Purring, Edward rubbed the part of Jon's leg he had his hand on.

"False flattery gets you nowhere dear. My answer is no."

"Less than a month ago you were willing to go to war for me and now you will not even join me for a swim? Poor show." Edward pouted.

"I saved my own hide as much as yours Edward," Jon argued, "and I refuse to embarrass myself by stripping naked and running around a beach."

"Suit yourself then Jon." Edward sighed in defeat.

Jumping to his feet, Jon barely had time to respond before Edward had dropped his shorts and kicked them away in the sand. He turned to give Jon a sly look as he started to half-jog down towards the inviting expanse of water.

The small part of Jon that still recalled his strict religious upbringing was genuinely shocked by the brazenness of the display and he was also mildly surprised that Edward had actually followed through.

However, just because Edward enjoyed being an exhibitionist fool did not mean he had to follow suit.

But that did not mean he was not allowed to enjoy the view.

As Edward finally reached the water, he started to wade in slowly allowing the waves to gently lap around his waist as he came to a full stop. He could see his pale reflection in the dark water as the moonlight illuminated his surroundings and he stopped to marvel and how truly beautiful this small area of the world was.

Casting his eyes back to Jon he knew he would have to try a different tactic.

"Jonathan Crane!" He called out loudly, "If you do not join me in this ocean then I swear I will destroy the small stash of toxin which I know you have hidden inside of your suitcase. I will throw it so far into the ocean that the only person who will be in danger of its effects will be Davy Jones himself."

He paused for a moment before deciding to try and sweeten the offer, "You do not need to strip. Please Jon? How often will we have the opportunity to experience this?"

Sighing as he realised that this was probably the best deal he was going to receive, Jon forced himself up from his comfortable lounger. Following Edward's path towards the sea he started to wade through the gentle waves until he was within touching distance of Edward.

"Now what?"

In lieu of an answer, Edward used his hand and forearm to launch a small wave of water towards Jon. Upon contact it splashed up against his upper chest and its cool temperature caused him to gasp lightly. "Really Edward? For a man in his mid-thirties you have a childish idea of what constitutes fun."

Giggling immaturely, Edward closed his eyes as he listened to Jon berate him.

The smile was soon wiped from his face as he felt Jon kick his feet out from under him and he fell backwards into the relatively shallow water.

As Edward disappeared beneath the waves, Jon could not hold back his laughter and he threw his head back as he chuckled. Edward should have known better than to let his guard down.

Soon enough, Edward reappeared on his feet, coughing and spluttering from the sudden invasion of salt water into his mouth and nose.

"Find that funny did you?" He asked hoarsely.

Jon let his chuckling die down, "Only a little bit, dear." He tensed as Edward moved towards him suddenly but he was pleasantly surprised when instead of a violent retaliation he felt Edward's lips pressing insistently on his own.

The unpleasant taste of salt made itself known in his mouth and he screwed up his nose slightly. Noticing the tensing, Edward pulled away and rolled his eyes before diving in for another kiss.

Watching Jon laugh at his expense in the delicate moonlight had caused him to feel a surge of affection for the damn fool. He can claim that this holiday is his idea of hell as much as he wanted but Edward knew better. He bit down gently on Jon's lower lip and was rewarded with a low hiss from the other man as his large hands started to caress his lower back.

Interesting.

A new idea shot into Edwards head and it caused a flush of arousal to flood his system. He had never had sex in a beach scenario and now seemed like an ample time to tick that off the old bucket list.

But he still had to convince his dark haired partner.

Allowing Jon to continue to massage his lower back, Edward brought one of his own hands up to lightly caress the back of Jon's neck while placing the other on the waistband of Jon's shorts.

He started to subtly loosen the knot which was holding them in place.

Not subtly enough apparently as Jon glanced down and noticed both the position of Edward's hand and his obvious state of arousal.

"Really?" Jon gave him a look of exasperation but his pupils were blown with lust.

Edward faked a look of innocence, "What? We are on holiday. Normal rules do not apply here. What happens on Ozzie Island stays on Ozzie Island."

Groaning lightly as Edward finally loosened the knot and slipped his hand inside his shorts, Jon instinctively dug his nails into the redheads exposed back. "I suppose that could make sense." He replied, his voice deep, as he bucked towards Edward.

Grinning savagely, Edward swooped in for another searing kiss.

He really did love getting what he wanted.


	17. (Onehsot) Scars

Sighing as he glanced at his naked torso in the bathroom mirror, Edward twisted slightly to give himself a better view of his exposed, pale back. As each small expanse of flesh was revealed as he turned, his frown deepened as his various scars and markings were exposed to his sight.

Squirting a healthy amount of his preferred scar cream into his hands he rubbed them together for a few seconds to warm it before applying it liberally to his chest. This cream had been specifically crafted for his own uses, mixing traditional scar correcting oils with other materials which were designed to repair the skin. The special ingredient, the ingredient which made it unique from all other creams, was a component created specifically for Edward by Ivy and her extensive knowledge of natural remedies to heal the skin.

He had paid her handsomely for her expertise and for every individual batch she created for him. It was a mutually beneficial agreement which both were willing to adhere to but Edward had his suspicions that if the Ras Al Ghul fiasco had not occurred then she would have point blank refused his initial offer. However since they had fought together, their mutual dislike had lessened into a grudging respect and that did have its benefits.

The strong smell of swamp invaded his senses as the cream spread smoothly across his torso, easily sinking into his skin without leaving a film of grease. He had noticed a definite improvement in some of the more grotesque scars which decorated him since he had started to use it but he had a long way to go until he would be happy with the results.

"Jon?" He called out quietly, sticking his head out of the bathroom door as he wiped off the remaining cream from his hands with a small towel, "Could you come here please?"

As he heard Edward call him, Jon grumbled as he was called from his comfortable reading position on their shared bed. Closing his book gently, he placed it on the side table and followed Edward's call.

"Yes?" he inquired as he watched the redhead inspecting his own reflection in the large bathroom mirror.

"Could you rub some of this cream into my back please? My arm is still aching from that altercation with those fools Maroni sent and I cannot reach properly."

Jon frowned as he heard the request, "Why?"

Raising an eyebrow, Edward spoke slowly "Because I am not plastic man and I cannot make my arms extend. This cream helps my scars to fade. Is this a trick question?" He added sarcastically.

"But why?" Jon reiterated, "These scars are evidence of your life, why would you bother erasing them? They show your experiences. Is your vanity really that great?"

"The only thing these scars show," Edward argued, "are my various failings in life. I no longer which to be confronted by them on a daily basis and after all we have been through I thought that now would be a perfect time to start fresh."

Noticing the odd defensiveness which had crept into Edward's voice, Jon paused to further analyse his words. A little insecurity about having scarred flesh was perfectly natural, even Jon himself suffered from the occasional attack, but Edward seemed to view his scars as evidence of his perceived failings and that was causing him psychological distress as he fought to remove them.

Ignoring the part of him that was screaming at him to further exploit the weakness, to see how Edward would react if Jon confirmed his fears that he was a true failure, Jon clenched and unclenched his fist in order to silence the thoughts.

He would never deny his true nature but he had promised that Edward would never suffer under his hands in the way that he had that fateful night in the basement. He would push and tease at Edward's various insecurities and pompous attitude because that was how their relationship worked, but he would never allow himself to put Edward in that dark place again.

"How do you receive this one?" He asked, coming to a quick decision as he pointed at a small totally linear scar which he could see on Edward's upper arm.

"That one?" Edward glanced at the scar as he attempted to recall its source.

x-x-x-x-x

"Give it up Nygma!" Batman growled as he slammed his fist into another henchman who was attempted to attack him.

"What do you think, Query? Echo?" He smirked as he spoke to his two favourite accomplices as they stood on either side of him and kept their eyes on the invading black figure, "Should we do as the cretin asks and give up?"

"No way boss!" Query replied while Echo simultaneously answered, "You've got him on the ropes."

Nodding at the pair as they confirmed his success, Edward smiled with false sadness as Batman finished off the last of his henchmen, "I am sorry but the ladies here have spoken. They seem to think you are finished and it would be rude to disappoint them."

"Final warning, give up now and tell me where the detonator is!"

As Batman advanced towards his position, Edward squeezed both Query and Echo slightly and without hesitating they pulled out their machine guns and trained them on the vigilante, forcing him to pause.

Edward smirked again,"Riddle me this, Batman! What do you g-ARGH!"

His riddle was cut off as Batman moved quicker than anyone could anticipate and launched a small black batarang at the trio, hitting his intended mark as the batarang stabbed through Edward's suit and into the flesh of his upper arm.

A small flurry of movement made itself known as Robin dropped from the ceiling and knocked Echo to the ground and all hell broke loose inside the large room.

x-x-x-x-x

"I spent a whole month in Arkham after that while my girls were sent to Blackgate to serve their time," Edward finished his explanation, "That was one of my earliest encounters with the Bat and even with the exuberance of youth I was unable to best him and to add insult to injury I have carried this scar ever since."

"I see," Jon responded but did not offer any further points, "and what about this scar?" He pointed to a small circular scar on Edward's shoulder which was very faded but still noticeable to the eye.

A small shadow seemed to pass over Edward's face as he realised which scar Jon was referring to, "That scar was a gift from my dearly departed father." He sighed.

x-x-x-x-x

Edward started to panic as his father disappeared behind him. He wanted to turn around but he had been instructed to face forward and if he disobeyed then it would only result in his father becoming angrier. He wanted to run, to bolt to the door and keep running but it was not an option. He wouldn't survive in Gotham.

Just as his panic reached breaking point, he felt a large hand grab painfully at his upper arm as a savage burning feeling pierced the back of his shoulder.

Twisting away in shock as he cried out in pain, Edward realised that his father had just branded him with his cigarette. It was an unpleasant change from his fists and Edward fought off the tears of shock and fear that were threatening to overwhelm him.

Using what little strength he could muster, Edward pulled out of his fathers grasp as his natural instinct to avoid pain took over and he ran.

He knew it would result in a harsh punishment later but he could not care at the moment.

And he ran.

x-x-x-x-x

Pushing down the fury which was coursing through him as Edward finished his tale, Jon had to remind himself that Edward's father was already dead by Edward's own hand. The tales of childhood cruelty mirrored his own and he could appreciate Edward's feelings towards that scar in particular but he would ignore that for the moment to serve the purpose of this unexpected exercise.

"And this one? What is the story there?" His voice was as soft as he could make it as he pointed to the final scar he was interested in, a rather long ragged one which ran across Edward's lower back.

"I am surprised you do not recognise that one," Edward answered, a small hint of humour in his tone, "since you were the one responsible for that."

"Really?" Jon asked, he was not surprised to find that Edward had a scar on his behalf. Jon himself had several scars of his own which Edward had given him over the years both during and before their relationship.

"Yes, it was not long after we first encountered each other in a criminal capacity. Do you remember that night you knocked me out of a window?"

x-x-x-x-x

"All-in-all I would say that was a successful heist my phobia-obsessed friend," Edward twirled his cane between his fingers expertly as he glanced over the two separate piles of money which lay to the side. They had just successfully raided a private safe and it had not taken long to divide up the spoils.

It was rare for him to work with a partner but Edward had to admit that he did like the Scarecrow's style.

At least he did when the man in question wasn't attempting to tear his mind apart.

Jon nodded at the assessment, "There was substantially less money that I would have preferred but the work itself was flawless." He paused. "And as a result of this knowledge, I have an alternate proposition for you, Nygma." Jon said, his voice deceptively light.

Edward pursed his lips, "Yes? And what would that be?"

As he waited for an answer he directed his gaze out of the large window which they were both standing by."

"This."

Before Edward could turn back to see what was being referred to, he felt Jon's strong, thin hands grab his arms and push him with great force towards the window they were both standing beside.

The thin glass was no match for his body weight and time seemed to slow around him as he felt himself smash through it and begin his descent through the air. The shock was enough to keep him limber as he felt the wind whip around his head for a split moment before he made a sudden collision with something relatively soft.

It took him a moment to realise that he had landed on the collected trash which lay underneath the window and had narrowly avoided hitting the hard ground itself by less than a metre. Without thinking, he hit the emergency button on his cane and deduced that it would probably take Query and Echo a few minutes to arrive from their position at the front of the warehouse to his current location.

Pushing himself to the side gently, he felt a searing pain across his lower back which caused him to cry out in surprise. Lifting off the pile slightly, he pulled out a large shard of glass which was now tinged with his own blood and his hands moved to touch the area which was still stinging after being slashed by the glass.

He could feel the small beads of blood falling from the wound and he knew that would need some serious first aid when his girls arrived.

"Fucking Scarecrow!" He hissed as he realised that not only had he been duped out of his half of the money but that he would also now need to order himself a new custom suit.

x-x-x-x-x

"Good times." Jon muttered fondly and he smirked as Edward sent him a scandalised look, "Well it was only one floor up. And I knew that you would not be seriously injured. I had scoped the warehouse out previous to our meeting." He shrugged. "If I wanted you dead I would have slit your throat."

"At least I did get my revenge," Edward said sweetly as he recalled the events which followed but he soon came back to the point at hand, "and yet I am still failing to see the point in this. Why are you asking me about my scars? You have never expressed an interest before."

It was the truth.

It was rare for Jon to show any great interest in something as sentimental as this and Edward would never deny that he was enjoying the sudden show of attention but he suspected that Jon had an ulterior motive.

"You fear that these scars show you as a failure?" Was all that Jon offered.

"Yes. I do."

"Then you are an idiot."

Edward's eyebrows shot up at that statement and he was instinctively put on the defense, "What? How dare you? An idiot? You have one minute to explain yourself before we have a domestic, dear." He spat out in anger.

Without even flinching at the sudden aggression, Jon explained, "You look at each of your scars with the fear that others will view them as a sign of failure. First of all, no one aside from me will ever be given a full showing of these scars so your fear is foolish to begin with."

Edward made a noise in his throat to show his annoyance but he did feel a flush of pleasure at the possessiveness which Jon had just shown. He did like to be reminded of how committed Jon was to whatever it was that they had.

"And secondly," Jon continued, "these scars are not a sign of failure. These scars, like my own, are a sign of strength. Of survival. They have more power than you are aware of."

Rolling his eyes, Edward scoffed, "Are you trying to tell me that they are a good thing?"

Pointing again at the first scar, Jon insisted, "This scar is not a sign of your failure to beat the Bat. This scar shows that you were enough of an opponent to him to force him to compromise his ideals. He physically harmed you. The Batman wants to save everyone in his hellpit of a world and you forced him to compromise that."

Edward's face was still painted with disbelief so Jon moved on to the second scar, "You view this scar as a failure to protect yourself from your father. A fully grown man who chose to harm his young child. This does not make you a failure. It makes you a survivor. Others who suffer less have allowed their abuse to destroy them but you overcame it."

He brushed his hand gently against the faded burn mark as he moved his hand down the spine to rest on the scar which sat on his lower back.

"I am dying to hear how you are going to sell this one to me." Edward mused but his attitude had lightened up as he listened to Jon defending his scarred flesh.

"This scar is a failure on my behalf, not yours. I failed to live up to my end of a bargain." Jon answered a little lamely. He did not really have an excuse for his actions that night other than misplaced greed.

Edward nodded, "If it makes you feel better, I never genuinely considered the scar to be a sign of failure. I did however consider it a sign to keep an eye on you at all times when we worked together."

"Fair enough," Jon chuckled, "but I still have one final point to make."

Coming to stand behind Edward fully, Jon wrapped both his arms around Edwards waist and placed them over the inches long scar on his exposed abdomen, the only remaining reminder of their war with Ras Al Ghul.

"Even if you disagree with my earlier points you cannot deny that this scar has a powerful message of survival which you would be a fool to remove."

Keeping his mouth shut as he enjoyed the sensation of Jon's hands on his stomach, Edward allowed him to continue.

"There are few on this earth who have stood up to Ras Al Ghul and lived to tell the tale. You are in very fine company with this particular scar. This is evidence that you took on one of the most dangerous men to ever live and against all odds, survived. This scar has power and you should feel pride, not fear, when you catch sight of it."

Edward had to give Jon his due, his psychological prowess was unmatched and Edward felt his earlier insecurities dissipate as his partner finished his small speech.

He understood Jon perfectly and he knew that he should probably take a greater pride in his scarring. While he did doubt that this would be the end of his fears, it had definietly made him re-examine his thoughts.

Plus it made things easier when he knew that Jon genuinely did not mind his various imperfections.

Placing his own hands on top of Jon's as they continued to sit gently on his stomach, Edward grinned at him in the mirror, "Thank you."

"Your train of thought was foolish, all I did was correct it." Jon protested, not wanting Edward to think that he was growing soft.

"Was that your version of the traditional 'you are beautiful just the way you are speech' Jon? I must say that it was a valiant effort." Eyes alight with mischief, Edward raised an eyebrow as he waited for an answer.

"No," Jon replied in a deadpan voice, "if it were I would also tell you to throw the cream away and grow old gracefully. My actual advice would be to save it for the slight wrinkles which I can see developing across your face. The body can always be hidden away but if your face becomes unsightly then I will call this relationship to a close."

At the comment Edward was unable to prevent the loud burst of laughter which escaped him.

"Edward Nygma: Trophy Husband." He tested out, chortling good-naturedly as he tightened his grip of Jon's hands as he laughed.

For his efforts, he was rewarded with a slight grin from the taller man.


	18. (Oneshot) Questions Asked

"He is unbearable," Edward hissed as he stabbed his fork into the fillet steak which was lying innocently on his plate, "it has been over a week now and there has been literally no change in his attitude towards this issue."

Shrugging as she picked up a small forkful of pasta, Selina smiled politely, "No luck Eddie. Maybe Jon just isn't the type? Some men aren't."

Edward scowled as he continued to assault his meal, "Look Selina, I appreciate the help but I can think of no reason why Jon would not agree to marry me."

\- The Previous Week -

Gotham City was very advanced in many areas of its society but its legal system was woefully inept and it showed. It had taken years of genuine effort on the part of its campaigners for a same sex marriage bill to be passed and, now that it had, couples throughout Gotham had been taking advantage of their new equality.

Which is how Jonathan and Edward had found themselves cordially invited to the private wedding of one Dr Pamela Isley and one Dr Harleen Quinzel.

The venue itself was surprisingly tame given the subjects. Ivy had cordoned off a small section of Robinson Park which was large enough to house their invited guests without being too cramped. It was also the place where they met and that did not escape notice. The walls were composed of thickly-packed vines which were strong enough to keep out any prying eyes or attempted invaders and each vine had sprouted flowers of all shapes and sizes which gave a stunning effect as the purple flowers were mixed with various yellow ones.

Observant to a fault, Edward noted that the shade of these yellow flowers looked oddly familiar and it took him a moment to place them. They were almost identical to the shade of blonde which made up Harley's hair.

Who knew Ivy was so sentimental?

Touching his lilac tie to adjust it, Edward momentarily lamented the fact that he had chosen to wear a full three-piece suit for the event. It was an unnaturally sunny day in Gotham and to celebrate Ivy had neglected to place a roof on their venue, instead she had a very loose lattice-vine design which offered a little protection while also allowing the sun to stream through.

So perhaps a three-piece suit was not the best idea.

He had chosen his best suit for the occasion, social events like these were rare and it was nice to show off, and aside from heat he had no regrets. It was made of the finest Italian silk and was such a dark green colour that it appeared almost black until the light hit it and the green tones became prominent. He had paired it with a lilac tie and gold cuff links which complimented the overall look and stayed true to his aesthetic.

To his side, Jon had also elected to wear a suit. It was of similar quality to Edwards' since Edward had commissioned it specifically for this wedding but instead of having a specific colour it was a simple, deep black and it filled out his frame quite nicely. A wide dark-green tie, the colour a match for Edward's suit, and pure silver cuff links finished the ensemble and Edward was pleased with the overall effect.

Together they looked quite the thing.

Even Selina had thrown a small wink his way when they had entered.

She stood under a small marble archway which was tastefully decorated with hanging ivy and a few flower patches here and there. Harley and Ivy had asked her to be their ring-bearer and she had accepted gracefully. She was wearing a simple, clearly-expensive, purple dress which stood out against her ivory skin and dark hair. Elegant as usual.

But the main focus of the wedding were in a class of their own.

Harley had opted for a traditional white wedding dress. It was strapless, had a sweetheart-neckline and was scandalously short, just skimming her lower thighs but it was still the traditional white so Edward supposed it counted. Her pigtails were gone and in their place her hair had been twisted into an elegant up-do which he detected Selina may have had her hands in. But it was the grin of pure joy on her face which lit up the venue more than the streaming sun ever could and it made Edward smile to see it.

Opposite her, and true to her style, Ivy had elected to wear a dress made entirely of flora. The vivid green leaves looked like satin as they clung to her figure before flaring out slightly at the waist and trailing down to sweep the floor. Her naturally-curly red hair had been pinned back and it trailed down her back gracefully. It had been decorated with the occasional purple flower which contrasted the green dress and red hair beautifully.

Even Edward had to admit that she looked like the flora goddess she claimed to be.

Not that he would tell her that.

But as the ceremony itself started, he straightened himself in his assigned chair and settled in to watch the festivities.

x-x-x-x-x

"Well that was uneventful," Jon grumbled as he snatched his tie off his head and threw it on the couch, "I was hoping for a last minute gate-crasher or some kind of disaster."

"That's not very nice of you," Edward scolded gently as he folded his own tie and placed it to the side, "the thought of what Harley and Ivy would do to someone who ruined their big day is terrifying. Would you like some coffee?"

Nodding his consent, Jon sat down on the couch next to his abandoned tie, "I am not a very nice man and yes I would. Thank you Edward."

Moving into the kitchen, Edward placed two mugs on the counter as he prepared the coffee maker, "I am still unable to believe that they actually married." He called through to the living room.

"What about that concept are you unable to wrap your brilliant mind around?" Jon answered after a few moments, smiling as he slid off his formal shoes.

Edward sighed as he poured some coffee into his mug, "I never really considered the fact that it might be possible for people like us to make that type of commitment. I remember Ivy as she was at the beginning, so full of hatred for anything which had blood instead of chlorophyll, she has certainly mellowed out over the years. To transform from that to what we both viewed today is incredible."

"Pamela never hated humanity, she always possessed too many ties to fully commit to destroying it, she merely convinced herself that she did. That said, had she never met Harley I doubt she would be as we know her now. Harley had humanised her." Jon argued.

"Point taken," Edward conceded, "but it is impressive nevertheless." He paused before announcing, "We should do it."

"What? Allow Harley to humanise us? What an odd request." Jon smirked.

Frowning, Edward walked from the kitchen to stand in front of the seated Jon, "No, Jon. What I mean is that we should do it. Get married."

He paused for a moment before continuing without allowing Jon to speak, "Think about it. We already live together and we are comfortable sharing the majority of our funds so there would be very little official paperwork to be filled out, not that we really care. We know enough people socially, well...I know enough people socially, to fill out a decent sized venue and I have more than enough funds to bankroll any possible costs. Besides, wouldn't it be nice to be able to tell the rest of the Gotham cretins that you have the hand of the most intellectually superior man in the entire city?"

In his excitement, his chest had puffed out and he glanced at Jon with expectant eyes as he waited for the confirmation.

"No."

The reply was simple and came without any real venom but Edward still recoiled as though he had been struck.

"No?" He asked, "what do you mean no?"

"No I have no intentions of getting married. I realise that you may be getting caught up in the events of the day, Edward, but we have absolutely no need to get married." His voice was calm as though he were talking to a child.

"And why not?" Edward demanded and his tone was almost petulant.

"We have no need to get married," Jon repeated, "It is not up for debate Edward. My answer is no. Accept it."

"Whatever you say, Jon." Edward sulked but there was a gleam in his eye which had not been there previously.

\- Two Days Later -

"Did you know that under Gotham Law we would be entitled to a whole host of possible benefits which we previously would not have if we were to be married? Jon?"

"Shut up and pass me the sulphuric acid solution."

For two whole days, Edward had been consistently using any possible opportunity to mention marriage and despite receiving absolutely no reaction, he had persisted. At the moment, they were both located in their shared basement and were working independently on their own person projects.

There was a mild tension in the air and while Edward could feel it, he didn't care to correct it.

"I was actually going to book in to have one of my older rings restored," Edward offered in a casual tone, "would you care to accompany me to the jewellers?"

"No." Jon answered with a finality, "Edward this is getting pathetic. Please accept my answer for what it is."

In lieu of an answer, Edward turned back to the trophy he was working on and Jon could hear him smack the wrench down on the workbench a little harder than would be considered acceptable.

And he sighed.

\- The Following Day -

Edward watched with a hawk-like gaze as Jon settled down on his regular armchair.

His attempts at getting Jon to agree to marry had failed verbally so he had resorted to more cunning tactics. Knowing that Jon enjoyed to smoke the odd cigar when he was undergoing stress, he had placed an opened bridal magazine next to his seat for him to hopefully peruse.

Any guilt which he may have had at being responsible for the stress which Jon was currently under was overshadowed by hope that this latest gambit would succeed.

From his position, he could keep an eye on Jon confident that he was hidden enough to be subtle about it. It took a few moments but Edward eventually saw Jon's eye twitch as he took notice of the magazine but he leaned forward to pick it up anyway.

Edward felt a small rush of success as Jon began to casually flick through the pages, if he could get Jon even a little interested then he would have a much stronger case for changing his mind completely and he smiled at the thought.

His smile quickly turned into a frown when Jon plucked the cigar from his mouth and stubbed it out on the centrefold of the magazine, burning a rather large hole through the entire thing.

\- Now -

The remainder of the dinner with Selina had been a success and Edward was pleased to have gained her opinion on the situation but he was still not to be deterred. After arriving home he had found Jon seated at the kitchen table and he decided to make another quick attempt at winning him around.

"Look, it does not have to be a big ceremony and you would be free to invite whatever denizens your little heart desired." He took a seat on the opposite side of the table and purred his temptations to the man on the other side.

Jon sighed and placed his paper on the table and rolled his eyes, "Edward we are not getting married and that is final."

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Edward exploded, his irritation boiling over as he was again rejected.

Jon shrugged and decided that now was as good a time as any to air his grievances, "You are my problem! I have given you my answer and yet you are unwilling to accept it. I see no viable reason for us to be married. A piece of paper does not mean anything to me and you are deluding yourself into thinking it will mean anything to you."

"It will show that you are committed to this," Edward gestured wildly before pointing at himself, "and to me."

Narrowing his eyes in anger, Jon spoke lowly but quickly, "And do I not do that already? Do I not live in this home with you? Sleep beside you almost every night? Do I not give you time and attention which you would not have received if you were ANYONE else in this city? Did I not risk my life protecting yours?"

"Ras Al Ghul would have murdered you anyway for being a costumed villain." Edward argued hotly.

"Ras Al Ghul offered to spare me in exchange for my betraying you." Jon pointed out in response.

Gritting his teeth, Edward slammed his hands down on the table, "Give me one reason why we should not get married. Are you afraid of commitment? This is a joke."

Clearly frustrated, Jon copied his movements and slammed his hands on the table, "Would you honestly stand before a priest and tell him that you will cherish me until death?" His voice was biting as he spat out the words. "That you will stay by me through sickness and health? Rich and poor? That you love me? Damnit Edward, we have never even professed to love each other and you want us to be married? You are a fool."

"That is a low blow. You know damn well what we have is enough to merit a marriage. Is that the problem Jon? Will you not marry me until I say 'I love you'?" His anger was overriding his sense as he mocked the taller man.

"Edward," Jon warned as he felt his temper start to break, "do not say something you will later regret."

"The infamous Scarecrow! Cowering before a simple marriage proposal! If only the masses could see you now Jon. All I want is a simple yes and then i'll b-" Edward snapped.

"I tell you what Edward, if it will make you cease this incessant nonsense then I will marry you!," Jon's face was contorted with his fury, "NOW GET OUT OF MY DAMN SIGHT AND START PLANNING THE FARCE!"

Clenching his fists so tightly that the whites of his knuckles stood out, Jon threw the words at Edward with as much anger as he could muster. If marrying Edward would be the only way to truly shut him up then he had no choice. It was that or he would end up killing him and he suspected he might come to regret that action.

At the sudden outburst, Edward was stunned into silence. He knew that he should have been pleased. After all, he had gotten what he wanted, Jon had proposed, and that was what was important.

Wasn't it?

Staring at his enraged partner, Edward locked eyes with him and he could pick up the genuine fury and irritation which was Jon was currently sending his way and it felt...wrong.

This was not what he wanted.

A proposal made in rage and frustration was not what he wanted.

His actions throughout the last week were now laid bare before him and as a slide show of his constant nagging and wheedling flashed through his head he felt a well of shame rising up within him. He had been wrong and the weight of it was cloying as it pressed on him.

"I'm sorry," His voice lacked any of its previous strength as he backed himself towards the door, unable to stand in Jon's presence anymore, "You don't have t- Just leave it." He grasped at the handle of the front door before yanking it open and disappearing through it.

Watching from his seated position, Jon let him go.

x-x-x-x-x

It was only when Edward was gone that Jon realised how silent the apartment was without him. Now completely alone, he had been left with his thoughts and the earlier confrontation was replaying through his head constantly. Edward had been gone for just under an hour and in that time he had been able to calm himself. He did not know if Edward was aware of how irritating he became when he got an idea into his head but there was something different about this.

He could not understand why Edward was so determined to be married. Edwards' parents had been married and their relationship had been a disaster, hell, even Jons' own parents marriage had lasted an incredibly short time and was also a complete farce. It was not a though they had a positive history which suggested it would be a success.

Edward was insecure that much was clear, his psychology would not allow him to be anything else, but his insecurities had lessened as he grew older and settled down. This new change to potential circumstance, the allowing of same-sex marriage, had clearly caused him to suddenly reassess what he needed in his life and he had fixated on it with a fervour.

The look of realisation on Edward's face, the shame and regret as he realised how petty he had been, had admittedly pleased him a little. But it also concerned him since Edward was not known to be a man to take his own failures very well.

Jon was self-aware enough to realise that his own anti-marriage stance was perhaps a little unfair but he could see no legitimate reason for it to happen. It would change nothing between them aside from making their relationship a matter of public record. They already shared everything which they possessed and this next step seemed like a waste of good time which could be spent elsewhere.

However, there was never any smoke without fire and he understood that Edward, or at least a small part of him, genuine did desire an official union with him. Between the pair of them, Edward always had a greater desire for domesticity in the traditional sense and Jon was willing to accommodate his wishes. Hell, he even enjoyed them. There was a lot to be said for a cooked dinner followed by a quiet night on the couch reading their respective journals and it surprised him at times just how much he enjoyed such menial activities.

His no-marriage stance had been motivated mainly by spite but Edward had now apparently seen the error of his ways. The knowledge that marrying Edward would make him legitimately happy was gnawing at him though as their relationship was currently stronger than it had ever been. Their war with the League of Assassins had cemented them together in a way which no other event could have.

Did he love Edward? Yes. In as much as he possibly could. He might want to kill him on occasion but the thought of him not being around left him with a cold emptiness.

Did he want to make Edward happy? Yes, he supposed that he did. At times he found himself altering his behaviour to suit Edward's needs, a concept he never thought himself capable of.

He had been willing to go to war for Edward. How different could a marriage possibly be?

With a greater understanding of his own position and now faced with several options and possibilities, Jon poured himself a small drink as he sat and considered what exactly he was going to do now.

x-x-x-x-x

When Edward came home, Jon had already retired to bed.

He heard the front door quietly click shut before the bedroom door opened and Edward appeared, looking sheepish, before disappearing into their en-suite bathroom. When he eventually emerged, he was wearing a white vest top and black boxers, his preferred sleepwear, and he shuffled awkwardly into the bed, avoiding Jons' gaze the entire way.

The tension in the air was undeniable as Edward lay as close to his side of the bed as possible so that he could avoid any further confrontation.

Letting out a deep breath and without looking over, Jon sought out Edward's arm with his own.

As Jon touched him, Edward jumped, glanced at him with questioning eyes and was met with a slightly raised eyebrow in response as Jon tugged at his elbow a little. In response, he slid closer towards his usual position in the bed before he felt the need to speak.

"Jon...I apologise," Edward murmured as he kept a hold of the warm hand, "I got caught up and my actions throughout the last week have been unacceptable. I should not have attempted to force you into something you did not want to do."

Embarrassment coloured his tone and Jon decided to spare him a little, "Even the worlds greatest genius is allowed an off week." He soothed.

Smiling, Edward asked, "So are we okay? I am not going to wake up in the middle of the night and find you hanging over me in full Scarecrow-garb with a handful of needles? I did have an apology riddle prepared but I did not want to rock the boat."

Jon nodded, "We are okay."

A comfortable silence filled the room as a feeling that both men had said the piece which they needed to settled between them.

But Jon still had a small collection of questions which he needed answered.

"Does it mean that much to you?" He muttered quietly out of the edge of his mouth.

Sighing and dragging a finger along Jon's knuckles, Edward confessed, "No. The idea was nice but not at the cost of alienating you." He paused. "I am a selfish man, Jon. You mean more to me than a ring. If you do not want to marry then I will accept it."

Turning to face him fully, Jon met his eyes with a curious stare,"Would you say yes if I asked?"

Edward felt his heart thump and his intelligent eyes searched Jon's for his intent, "I suppose you would have to ask. A question must be set before an answer can be given."

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Jon asked himself one final time if this was what he wanted to do.

It was.

Jon touched a hand to Edward's cheek, "Edward Nygma, will you marry me?" His voice was deep and heavy.

Swallowing suddenly to clear his dry throat, Edward placed a hand gently over Jon's, "Yes, Jon. You know I would." A wide grin split his face as he realised that this was genuine, Jon had not been forced into this but had made an active decision to commit to him of his own accord.

Sighing in contentment, the pair sat in silence as they let this newest development sink in. Jon doubted that this would be the last of Edward's nonsense, and he was sure that the tantrum which the younger man would throw when he was informed that he had no intention of having an actual ceremony would be the stuff of legend, but in that moment he did not care.

Nothing else was said as there was nothing else needed.

And when the morning came, it found the pair asleep together in their shared bed. At some point during the night, Jon's hand had slid down from Edward's cheek to settle across his neck and the delicate touch was enough to provide both men with an unconscious comfort which they would struggle to comprehend in their waking moments.


End file.
